GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum University men's tennis team will begin its 2024 fall schedule this weekend when the Pioneers participate in the Labor Day Invitational in Belmont, North Carolina.
The event is one of five on the fall slate for the Pioneers, which includes their annual trip to the ITA Southeast Regional at the end of September and a dual match with North Greeneville on Sept. 18.
First-year head coach Garcian D'Cruz has eight returnees from last year's squad, which finished the spring season with a 16-7 overall record and a 9-3 mark in the South Atlantic Conference.
PREVIEW
Junior Will Gee (Faversham, England) was a third-team All-SAC selection in singles after finishing second on the team with 15 victories last season. Gee was 14-14 in doubles play and carries a 23-18 career singles record into this fall. Gee was 7-1 in singles last fall for the Pioneers.
Sophomore Anton Krondell (Helsingborg, Sweden) led the Pioneers in singles wins with a 16-11 record last season, and also led the team in doubles victories with a 19-10 mark. Krondell had a 5-3 fall record in 2023 and posted an identical 5-3 mark in doubles.
Sophomore Rens Verhaar (Amsterdam, The Netherlands) was 13-8 last season in singles and 18-9 in doubles play, while advancing to the round of 32 at the ITA Southeast Regional in singles. Verhaar was 6-1 in singles last fall and went 5-3 in doubles while playing with Krondell.
Senior Nathan Matsuguma (Tokyo, Japan) returns to Tusculum after playing the 2024 season at Division I Lindenwood. Matsuguma was 25-23 in singles in two seasons for the Pioneers, and had a 17-17 record in doubles competition.
Junior Sarthak Sharma (Haryana, India) was 10-5 in singles for the Pioneers in his first year at Tusculum, and had a 4-3 doubles record. Sharma had a perfect 3-0 singles record last fall and was 4-1 in doubles during the 2023 fall schedule.
Senior Miles Ray (Cheltenham, England) played primarily doubles for the Pioneers last season and went 11-7, primarily teaming with Gee, and had a 2-2 record in singles. Ray is 10-10 in three seasons in singles for Tusculum and has a 17-11 doubles record.
Senior Felipe Velasquez Quintana (Bogota, Colombia) was 3-1 in singles and 1-2 in doubles for the Pioneers last season, while senior Nathan West (Farnsfield, England) has a 1-0 singles mark and 4-3 doubles record in his Tusculum career.
Joining the Pioneers this fall are freshmen Eli England (Tazewell, Tenn.) and Isaac Wolff (Stockholm, Sweden).
SCHEDULE
After playing at Belmont Abbey on August 30-31, the Pioneers will participate in the LMU Invitational on Sept. 14-15. Tusculum will face North Greenville in a dual match on Wednesday, Sept. 18 in preparation for the ITA Southeast Regional on Sept. 27-30 in Sumter, South Carolina. The Pioneers wrap up the fall at the Milligan Invitational Oct. 19-20, with the spring schedule commencing at the beginning of February.