The University of Mississippi Athletics
Chase to Waco Begins Friday for Rebels
1/15/2015 | Men's Tennis
OXFORD, Miss. - A new chapter in Ole Miss men's tennis history begins Friday with the start of the dual match season under first-year head coach Toby Hansson. The Rebels would like to write a fantastic ending in Waco, Texas, site of this year's NCAA Final 16.
The chase to Waco begins with a match against UCF Friday at 1 p.m. CT at the UCF Tennis Complex in Orlando, Florida.
After a successful weekend in Fort Myers, Florida for the FGCU Invitational, the Rebels are ready to get the team portion of the season started.
"We are very excited to start the season here in Orlando against UCF," said Hansson. "This trip to Florida has allowed us to get closer as a team, which is key. The work that we put in these last two weeks together with what we did in the fall has put us in good position for the long grueling spring season. Everyone on the team is ready to go out and compete for the Rebels tomorrow."
Scouting UCF ...
UCF returns seven players from the 2014 roster that finished 12-9 and welcome three newcomers. Senior Francesc Aulina earned first team all-conference honors in 2014, and sophomore Inaki Espindola was the American Conference Freshman of the Year.
Welcome Back Shark ...
The Rebels got some great news last week, when reigning SEC Player of the Year Nik Scholtz announced he's returning for his senior season. Scholtz, who will earn his degree in May, has a chance to become the first player in program history to be named All-America four times. He will join the team next week when school starts.
Recapping FGCU Invitational ...
While Mississippians enjoyed frigid temperatures last week, the Rebels spent the week in Fort Myers, Florida at the Florida Gulf Coast Invitational. All total, the Rebels finished the weekend with 23 wins in singles and doubles and posted several ranked victories as well, including defeating two top-20 teams in doubles. Senior William Kallberg and freshman Gustav Hansson finished the tournament 5-1 to improve to 8-2 overall this year.
National Rankings ...
The Rebels are ranked No. 31 in the preseason ITA Team Rankings. Junior Stefan Lindmark is ranked No. 80 singles, and sophomore Ricardo Jorge is ranked No. 120.
Plenty of Opportunities to Move up ...
Ole Miss will have plenty of opportunities to improve upon its preseason ranking with a schedule full of top 25 opponents. The Rebels will face eight teams currently ranked in the top 25, and 12 in the top 50.
For more information on Ole Miss Men's Tennis, follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissMTennis, on Facebook at OleMissMTennis and on Instagram at OleMissMTennis.
Players Mentioned
