ROCK HILL — The Newberry men’s tennis team has been picked to finish ninth in the South Atlantic Conference Coaches Preseason Poll, it was announced last week.
Newberry received 74 points, putting them ahead of Coker, Catawba, Mars Hill and UVA Wise.
The Wolves finished the 2019-20 season with an 8-4 record and were 2-0 in conference action prior to the season being cancelled due to COVID-19. They were 6-0 in the fall, including two wins over USC Sumter and a 6-1 win over North Greenville to wrap up the fall slate. They opened the spring season with a 6-1 win over Mars Hill before going on to beat Carson-Newman 4-3.
Newberry is returning five players from last season, including Adam Black, who had a 2-0 record in singles competition.
Also returning will be Ignacio Garcia De Soca, who was 3-2 in singles play. Luke Layton, who was 3-1 in doubles play last season is also a returner, as is Marcel Schomburg who went 3-3 in singles play in 2019-20.
The Wolves will open the 2021 season under the direction of Head Coach Mark Gardiner, who is entering his 10th season at the helm. The campaign will get underway on Feb. 6 when the Wolves host Southern Wesleyan at the Oakland Tennis Center. They will open SAC play on Feb. 18 with a road match against Queens University.