2008 Woodie Awards
Round robin prepares men's tennis
Nathan Hoffman
Issue date: 2/29/08 Section: Sports
The Drew Ranger's men's tennis team is in a good place, literally and metaphorically speaking.
Although they did not pick up any victories at the Drew University Invitational Tournament, which they hosted, they exude confidence, a thing which they will need this season.
The Invitational, which was hosted at the Simon Forum on Feb. 24, was a round robin tournament including teams from Drew, Salve Regina University, Stevens Institute of Technology and Salisbury State University.
Although the Rangers lost to each opponent going 0-3, the team was still able to draw positives from the tournament.
Alex Belfiore ('11) was pleased with the tournament and how it was run.
He said, "There was enough time to give others support and also prepare for the next match. The match schedule was well put together and I thought it suited everyone involved who was playing."
Nicholas Imbo ('11) took as much as he could from his first taste of tennis at Drew.
He said, "As a freshman, I thought the invitational was a great learning experience. It was the first tournament of the year and it definitely got the team ready for the upcoming season because of the high level of competition we experienced."
The Rangers saw the tournament as more than adequate preparation for the upcoming season.
Vik Rao ('08) said, "The Drew Invitational as usual was stacked with some very talented teams. It's important that we play these teams so they can adequately prepare us for the season."
The makeup of the team has changed a lot since last year.
The team saw a lot of players leave, yet simultaneously has seen the arrival of many incoming freshmen.
Rao said, "Although we lost a lot of people from last year, the team is physically in great shape and working hard to fill the gaps."
The Rangers' first series of matches will come over spring break.
When they return to the forest, they will head south to Towson, Maryland to face Goucher College in a road game.
The Rangers hope to get off to a fast start and achieve the same type of success they achieved in the past year, when they had a very impressive 12-6 record and were crowned conference champions.
It is hard to predict what the shift to the Landmark Conference will bring, yet the Rangers will enter the season with confidence.
If the Rangers are to be successful, they will need big contributions from the rookies and solid play from the returning players.
Rao said, "The incoming freshmen have the drive and compete well so we'll see where it takes us. Hopefully another conference championship."
Although they did not pick up any victories at the Drew University Invitational Tournament, which they hosted, they exude confidence, a thing which they will need this season.
The Invitational, which was hosted at the Simon Forum on Feb. 24, was a round robin tournament including teams from Drew, Salve Regina University, Stevens Institute of Technology and Salisbury State University.
Although the Rangers lost to each opponent going 0-3, the team was still able to draw positives from the tournament.
Alex Belfiore ('11) was pleased with the tournament and how it was run.
He said, "There was enough time to give others support and also prepare for the next match. The match schedule was well put together and I thought it suited everyone involved who was playing."
Nicholas Imbo ('11) took as much as he could from his first taste of tennis at Drew.
He said, "As a freshman, I thought the invitational was a great learning experience. It was the first tournament of the year and it definitely got the team ready for the upcoming season because of the high level of competition we experienced."
The Rangers saw the tournament as more than adequate preparation for the upcoming season.
Vik Rao ('08) said, "The Drew Invitational as usual was stacked with some very talented teams. It's important that we play these teams so they can adequately prepare us for the season."
The makeup of the team has changed a lot since last year.
The team saw a lot of players leave, yet simultaneously has seen the arrival of many incoming freshmen.
Rao said, "Although we lost a lot of people from last year, the team is physically in great shape and working hard to fill the gaps."
The Rangers' first series of matches will come over spring break.
When they return to the forest, they will head south to Towson, Maryland to face Goucher College in a road game.
The Rangers hope to get off to a fast start and achieve the same type of success they achieved in the past year, when they had a very impressive 12-6 record and were crowned conference champions.
It is hard to predict what the shift to the Landmark Conference will bring, yet the Rangers will enter the season with confidence.
If the Rangers are to be successful, they will need big contributions from the rookies and solid play from the returning players.
Rao said, "The incoming freshmen have the drive and compete well so we'll see where it takes us. Hopefully another conference championship."
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