University of Tennessee Athletics
Men's Tennis Team Finalizes 2005-06 Schedule
August 25, 2005 | Men's Tennis
Aug. 25, 2005
2005-06 Schedule in PDF Format
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Tennessee head men's tennis coach Chris Mahony announced the Volunteers' 2005-06 schedule this week. The Big Orange coaching staff plans to send Vols representatives to 10 fall tournaments -- in which players compete as individuals -- before bringing the squad together to face 19 dual-match opponents in the spring.
The Vols' 2006 dual-match opponents feature four teams garnering a spot in the national top 10.
Alabama plays host to the 2006 SEC tournament April 20-23 in Tuscaloosa, Ala., and Stanford is scheduled to host the 2006 NCAA Division I Men's Tennis Championships in Stanford, Calif. Last season, Tennessee advanced to the finals of the SEC tournament and to the round of 16 of the NCAA championships before losing to eventual national champion UCLA.
The Vols finished last season ranked No. 11 in the country and open their fall season Sept. 16 at the USTA Future Tournament in Costa Mesa, Calif.
SEVEN RETURNING PLAYERS HIGHLIGHT 2005 FALL ROSTER
The Tennessee men's tennis team enters the 2005 fall season with seven returning players. Seniors David Baxendine and Rawl Martin, juniors Ben Rogers, Kiril Tcherveniachki and Johnny Thornton and sophomores Bobby Cameron and Kaden Hensel round out the Vols' squad.
Three players who were members of the 2005 squad will not return. Juniors Matt Berry and Ockie Oosthuizen and sophomore Morgan Wilson will no longer attend the University of Tennessee.
Wilson, a native of Brisbane, Australia, will give up college tennis and will remain in Australia. Wilson spent his freshman season playing mostly at the No. 4 singles position and also teamed with Mark Dietrich to form UT's No. 2 doubles tandem.
Berry made appearances in three SEC matches this past season and won at the No. 6 singles to contribute to the Vols' victory over Alabama. Berry, stating a desire for more match time, is seeking to transfer to another university.
Oosthuizen, also from South Africa, indicated he was giving up collegiate tennis and will remain in South Africa. Oosthuizen teamed with Ben Rogers to form UT's No. 1 doubles team in 2005. The duo finished the season 29-12 and earned All-America honors.
"Both Morgan and Ockie felt that their interests were best served by returning to their respective home countries for personal reasons, " UT head coach Chris Mahony said. "As a coaching staff, we agree that their decisions are in the best interest of both the student-athlete and the program. I value the relationships I've formed with these three student-athletes and wish them nothing but the best."
Players Mentioned
