Fall Preview - Spartans To Play In Five Fall Events
10/3/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Oct. 3, 2006
EAST LANSING, Mich. - A host of veteran players returns for the Michigan State men's tennis team in the 2006-07 season. The Spartans will look to this experience throughout the year, and as they prepare to embark on a five-event fall schedule.
"I'd like to see that we compete and get results in our first outing," MSU head coach Gene Orlando said. "We have some strong competition. I know three teams that are competing - Brown, Wake Forest and Kentucky all played last year and have very skilled players. That's one of the reasons we are going to the tournament - to see that level and see where we match up. We can see what we need to do to close the gap and which players are going to step up."
Leading Michigan State into fall play will be junior Nick Rinks. Rinks paced the Spartans over the course of the 2005-06 season, posting a 27-16 overall mark and a 14-8 record in singles play, earning First-Team All-Big Ten honors. Last season Rinks saw his individual rankings rise to 70th in the nation. He is currently ranked 77th in the preseason poll.
"Rinks is obviously our number one player, he is nationally ranked in both singles and doubles," Orlando stated. "Nick has to take his game to another level and set himself with the best players in the country."
Looking to fill the No. 2 spot in the lineup will be fellow junior Adam Monich. Monich posted 16 singles wins last spring and played on the Spartans' No. 1 doubles pairing with Rinks, recording a 22-13 record. With two years behind him, Monich will look to step into a leadership role as an upperclassman.
"Monich played high in the lineup as a sophomore," Orlando said. "He had some good results, but needed to be more consistent. I think he's made some strides in the summer and is ready to have a good run for us."
Third on Michigan State's card will be sophomore Alex Forger. Forger tallied eight singles and three doubles victories last season, and after a year of growth is set to make an impact on the Spartan squad.
Filling the No. 4 and No. 5 spots will be sophomore John Allare and senior Mike Flowers, respectively. Allare proved to be a versatile player for the Spartans, finishing last year at No. 3 singles and on the No. 2 doubles pairing, compiling 12 singles and 13 doubles wins. Flowers played No. 4 singles the majority of the season and finished the year paired with Allare on the No. 2 doubles team. In his senior year, Flowers will look to experience as one of his greatest weapons.
"I think Flowers is looking at his best year," Orlando said. "He's been through three seasons and has had up and down results throughout his career. The lone senior has to have to his best year and I think he has it in him. He's playing both singles and doubles, so it's going to be a big season for him. We need him to anchor the team - he has enough experience, he knows what's coming, and he's seen it."
The remaining members of the team will compete for the No. 6 spot. Sophomore Scott Rausmussen saw action last year and is a front-runner for the final position. Newcomers freshmen Alex Allon, Brendan Kinkopf, Jason Norville, Tyler Sauleberry and sophomore East Carolina transfer Britton Steele will also be in the mix.
"Our top five are Rinks, Monich, Forger, Allare, and Flowers," Orlando stated. "Our other five are competing for the sixth spot. I really feel confident that in the next seven weeks, someone's going to jump. They're practicing day in and day out."
"We have three returning sophomores - Allare, Forger, and Rasmussen," Orlando added. "Allare and Forger both got experience playing at three and four in the lineup last year. As freshmen, that's probably a little bit harder than anticipated. They didn't have all the results they needed, but they did have some results. They need to be more consistent and still find themselves as middle lineup players. Last year, they were a little bit above where they should have been and now, being sophomores, hopefully they are in the right spot. Rasmussen played six for us last year and we're hoping he can be somebody who can move up in the lineup this year.
"All four of the newcomers are very competitive and very close," Orlando said. "Not one player really stands out, but I think after the fall tournaments someone will establish himself as our sixth player."
Orlando will have a total of five events this fall to evaluate and prepare his team. Following the ATP/Kings Island College Classic will be three events in October. Michigan State will travel to Tulsa, Okla., for the ITA All-American Tournament, Oct. 2-8, and then head to the ITA Midwest Regional in Minneapolis, Minn., Oct. 19-24. Returning to Michigan, the Spartans will play at the Western Michigan Invite in Kalamazoo, Oct. 27-29 and conclude fall play at the Big Ten Indoor Tournament in Ann Arbor, Nov. 10-13.
"We will really use the fall as time to establish our players," Orlando said. "At the end of the fall, we'll have enough results that will help me formulate the spring lineup. We will have our set five and maybe we'll be close for six and seven. As a team, we are always trying to develop and change things, and we'll do that even in the spring season."
Players Mentioned
