Rockets Open Season at No. 3 Ohio State

TOLEDO, OH – The men's tennis team will open its 2017 schedule with a mid-week trip to Columbus, OH where it will battle 2016 Big Ten Conference and tournament champion, No. 3 Ohio State. The match is slated to begin at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 18.
     "Our team has its feet to the fire right off the bat," said head coach Al Wermer. "This will be a tough challenge for us because OSU is an excellent and well-coached team."

SEASON OUTLOOK
     Wermer returns for his 21^st season as head coach of a highly competitive Toledo men's tennis program. Wermer brings his entire roster back for the 2016-17 season and adds a talented freshman to the mix hoping to return his squad to the Mid-American Conference Championships.
     "We went through a lot of bumps and bruises last year having a team that was made up of two-thirds freshmen," said Wermer. "We lost a lot of very close matches, and I think that experience is going to make a big and positive difference for us this year.

RETURNING ROCKETS
     Returning to the top of the lineup is two-time MAC Player of the Year, senior Stjepan Sisko (Kastel Stari, Croatia). Sisko finished the 2015-16 season with an overall record of 25-5 at No. 1 singles and was named first-team All-MAC for the third-consecutive year. The three-time Team MVP recorded a career-high 16-match winning streak (Jan. 30-April 11) and looks to anchor the Rockets in his last season at UT.
     "Stjepan was out much of the fall so he hasn't competed in a while," said Wermer. "With that being said, he will have his feet to the fire when he steps back on the court. He will be able to step up to the challenge because he is an exceptional player with tons of potential."
     Juniors Omar Espinosa (Queretaro, Mexico) and Stephen Miller (New Albany, OH) will add some experience to the Rockets' lineup and Wermer expects both to lead the team on and off the court.
     "Omar takes his game very seriously," said Wermer. "He came back this fall extremely fit and he is an awesome leader on the team. Stephen is also a great leader, and he truly never has a bad day. He has a great, uplifting attitude."
     Wermer returns six sophomores that provide depth and energy to the UT squad in Vince Anzalone (Willoughby Hills, OH), Juan Carranza (Queretaro, Mexico), Serjen Olmedo (Antofagasta, Chile), Danilo Pejovic (Belgrade, Serbia), Reid Teatsorth (Findlay, OH) and Luka Vitosevic (Belgrade, Serbia).
     Anzalone stepped up to the plate in his rookie campaign and emerged as a key factor in the Toledo lineup. He posted a 17-13 overall record in singles action, including a 5-2 mark at both No. 2 and No. 3 singles. Vitosevic will provide the Rockets with another threat in both singles and doubles play. He paired up with Sisko to post a 6-3 mark at No. 1 doubles last season.
     "Vince walks the walk and talks the talk," added Wermer. "He is a very vocal leader and has really stepped into a leadership role head on. He is passionate about the game and this team. Luka brings a positive mindset to practice and has improved his game a lot since last year."

INCOMING CLASS
     The Rockets welcome a talented freshman to the roster in Thawin (Ernie) Suksathaporn (Bangkok, Thailand). Suksathaporn earned his high school's Most Valuable Player award as a senior, junior and sophomore. He made Thailand's Top-10 in U-14 and U-16 national rankings and also was a doubles finalist in Thailand's U-16 national championship.
     "Ernie is the whole package; he has a very professional attitude, is extremely athletic and has fantastic technique," said Wermer. "I think he is going to be a very big contributor for us this season and I can't wait to see what he as in store he gains more experience."

2017 SPRING SCHEDULE
     A challenging schedule awaits the UT men's tennis program in its 2016-17 campaign. Matches against Big 10 Conference members Ohio State and Nebraska highlight the Rockets' non-conference slate.
     "There are two things I'm certain about," said Wermer. "One, that this team has more talent and potential than any team I've coached, and two, we have a spectacular schedule ahead with amazing individual events, a spring trip to San Diego and a challenging non-conference dual schedule."
     UT will begin its winter slate with tough mid-week matchup vs. No. 3 Ohio State (Jan. 18) before starting a four-match homestand vs. Dayton (Jan. 20), Valparaiso (Jan. 21), Wright State (Jan. 21) and Duquesne (Jan. 27). Toledo will hit the road for contests against Marquette (Feb. 3), Green Bay (Feb. 5) and Youngstown State (Feb. 17) before returning to the Glass City to host Illinois State on Feb. 19. The team will end its indoor season with road matches against Detroit (Feb. 22) and Louisville (Feb 25).
     The Rockets will resume to outdoor play when they travel to La Jolla, CA for their spring trip. Toledo will compete in the Pacific Coast Championships (March 2-5) before battling Boise State on March 5. UT will receive its final tune-up before Mid-American Conference play at Nebraska where the Rockets will take on the Huskers (March 17) and Wichita State (March 19).
     Toledo opens MAC play in Kalamazoo, MI where it will take on Ball State (March 25) and Western Michigan (March 26) before returning home for a three-match homestand. UT will welcome Buffalo on April 2 before hosting Ball State (April 7) and Northern Illinois (April 8) the following weekend. The Rockets will end their season on the road with trips to Binghamton on April 15 and Western Michigan on April 22.
     The 2016 MAC Tournament will be hosted by Western Michigan on Friday-Saturday, April 28-29 in Kalamazoo, MI.

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Players Mentioned

Vince Anzalone

Juan Carranza

Omar Espinosa

Stephen Miller

Serjen Olmedo

Danilo Pejovic

Stjepan Sisko

Reid Teatsorth

Luka Vitosevic

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