SPOTLIGHT: Watch Out For The

Nov. 3, 2010

By Kim Ling
Associate Athletics Media Relations Director

There are those athletes who come on campus and right away they make headlines and become instant stars on the field of competition. Others climb to the top as their careers move along. Men's tennis senior Tucker Vorster has done both.

Widely considered one of the top doubles players in the nation,the Pretoria, South Africa native nicknamed "Dragon", recently made headlines for his singles play. On Oct. 25, Vorster captured the ITA Southern Regional Singles Championship in Tuscaloosa, Ala., to earn a spot in this weekend's ITA National Indoor at the USTA-Billie Jean King Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, N.Y.

Vorster's career with the Rebels began in 2008 when he went 10-2 in doubles as a freshman to help lead the Rebels to the NCAA Elite Eight, the SEC West Championship and the SEC Tournament Championship.

As a sophomore in 2009, Vorster teamed with NCAA Champion Devin Britton for a 15-5 doubles record as the team won the overall SEC Championship and repeated as SEC Tournament Champions on their way to the NCAA Elite Eight yet again.

Last year, Vorster stepped up to be a major contributor in singles and doubles for a young Rebel squad. He earned All-SEC honors while playing No. 2 singles. Playing with three freshmen in the lineup, Vorster helped lead the Rebels to their ninth consecutive SEC West Championship and their 17th straight NCAA appearance.

"Last season was a transition phase. We had a young team with guys coming in starting as freshmen. They had never played college tennis before and now they were playing against some of the top teams (in the nation)," Vorster said. "They showed what they are made of, a bunch of tough, hard-working players. We were able to gain experience, and this year we're going to have a great team with solid depth."

Vorster will have plenty of help this year with the Thiemann twins, Marcel and Chris, now junior veterans. The Rebels also welcome back Kalle Norberg, the 2009 SEC Tournament Most Valuable Player, who redshirted last year due to injury.

"He's the 'banker' on the team. He's an incredible dual match player, and we are very excited to have him back," said Vorster on the return of Norberg. "The Thiemann's are tough to beat, and Adrian (Forberg Skogeng) and Jonas (Lutjen) have really improved. I'm looking forward to the spring."

Vorster says the Rebels are poised for a great season.

"This league is so tough, and there are usually four or five teams in the top 10 every year. I see us starting in the top 10 (in the nation) and working our way up to the top five."

After netting All-SEC honors last year, Vorster would like to add to that by being named an All-American in 2011. If his results so far are any indication, Vorster is well on his way. He began the year ranked No. 58 in the nation in singles and No. 22 in doubles. He'll get the chance to improve on his ranking beginning Thursday at the ITA National Indoor, after defeating Auburn's Alex Stamchev to capture the ITA Southern Regional and earn a spot in the year's second national championship.

Fans have become accustomed to seeing the 6 foot 5 inch serve and volleyer beating opponents on the courts and then cheering loudly for his teammates. That almost didn't happen, as Vorster was set to head to Wisconsin until he got a call from head coach Billy Chadwick.

"It was late in the recruiting process. I had already been talking to other schools and I was 90 percent sure that I was going to the University of Wisconsin," Vorster said. "The South Alabama coach is from South Africa, and he told Coach Chadwick about me. Coach did a great job of recruiting me. He's an extremely positive guy. I really liked the way he showed a great interest in me. I definitely made the best decision of my life."

While Vorster admitted the only thing he knew about the South prior to coming here was the Mississippi River, his fun outgoing personality has rubbed off on Oxford and the fans. He has helped the Rebels maintain a huge following and rank among the nation's yearly attendance leaders.

"We have an incredible relationship with the fans here. The people are unbelievably supportive. They are so loyal to the tennis team," Vorster said. "The standing-room only crowd for the Mississippi State match helped us beat the Bulldogs for the 24th time in a row. When they get into the match it lifts us. The relationship with the fans and the players is awesome, and I think our home record (77-5 since 2003) speaks for itself."

Vorster hopes to one day play on the big stage like his favorite player, Roger Federer. For now though, he's concentrating on his final season with the Rebels and working hard to help Ole Miss add more championship hardware to the trophy case.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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