Mount Olive Tops Preseason Poll to Win 2017 Conference Carolinas Men's Tennis Championship
HIGH POINT, N.C. – The University of Mount Olive was named the favorite to win the 2017 Conference Carolinas Men's Tennis Championship, the league announced today. The Trojans earned 89 points and eight first-place votes from the conference coaches.
Mount Olive will look to repeat as the Conference Carolinas Men's Tennis Championship champion in 2017 after going 15-6 overall and 9-1 league action in 2016. The Trojans advanced to the NCAA Division II Men's Tennis Championship in 2016 for the third-straight season.
Barton College was selected second in the poll by coaches, receiving 75 points. The Bulldogs were 13-10 overall last season, which included a 7-2 mark in Conference Carolinas play.
With 63 points, Limestone College enters 2017 ranked third by coaches. The Saints will look to improve on a 9-12 overall record in 2016 and a 7-3 conference mark.
King University was voted fourth after receiving 61 points, while Belmont Abbey College and Pfeiffer University enter 2017 tied for fifth with 60 points and one first-place vote each.
The Tornado went 13-11 overall and 7-3 in conference play in 2016. The Crusaders of Belmont Abbey turned in a 7-20 campaign with a 3-7 Conference Carolinas record. The Falcons compiled a 14-7 record and went 9-0 in conference play.
Placing seventh was North Greenville University with 52 points, followed by Southern Wesleyan University in eighth with 36 points. Erskine College and Lees-McRae College closed out the poll with 25 and 19 points, respectively.
The Crusaders of North Greenville concluded 2016 at 7-12 and 5-5 in conference play. The Warriors, who enter their first season of postseason eligibility in 2017, wrapped up 2016 with a 6-14 overall record and 4-6 Conference Carolinas mark. The Flying Fleet notched a 1-17 overall record and 1-9 league record, while the Bobcats went 2-14 overall and 2-8 in conference.
The 2017 Conference Carolinas men's tennis season begins on Friday, Feb. 3.
2017 Men's Tennis Preseason Poll
| School (first-place votes) |
Total |
| 1. Mount Olive (8) |
89 |
| 2. Barton |
75 |
| 3. Limestone |
63 |
| 4. King |
61 |
| T5. Belmont Abbey (1) |
60 |
| T5. Pfeiffer (1) |
60 |
| 7. North Greenville |
52 |
| 8. Southern Wesleyan |
36 |
| 9. Erskine |
25 |
| 10. Lees-McRae |
19 |
2017 Conference Carolinas Men's Tennis Players to Watch:
Player (Year):
Julian Bosch (Fr.) - Barton
Jake McCartney (Sr.) - Barton
Yaxi Pintado (Sr.) - Barton
Zach Blythe (Fr.) - Belmont Abbey
James Delaney (Jr.) - Belmont Abbey
Juan Baez (Sr.) - Belmont Abbey
Andres Argenal (So.) - Erskine
Ritwik Bhriguvanshi (So.) - Erskine
Andre Andre (Sr.) - Erskine
Arturo Alfaro (Fr.) - King
Lennard Neumann (Fr.) - King
Moritz Poswiat (Sr.) - King
Sebastian Zuhr (Jr.) - Lees-McRae
Gabe Muniz (Jr.) - Lees-McRae
Garrett Lakey (Sr.) - Lees-McRae
Guillermo Ortega (So.) - Limestone
Stefano Soares (Sr.) - Limestone
Giacomo Campus (Sr.) - Limestone
Alejandro de la Torre (Jr.) - North Greenville
Sjors van Eck (Sr.) - North Greenville
Bjorn Barwinski (Jr.) - Pfeiffer
Axel Woerner (Sr.) - Pfeiffer
Conference Carolinas is a NCAA Division II athletics conference made up of 12 teams from Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. These institutions consist of: Barton College, Belmont Abbey College, Converse College, Emmanuel College, Erskine College, King University, Lees-McRae College, Limestone College, University of Mount Olive, North Greenville University, Pfeiffer University, and Southern Wesleyan University. Emmanuel College is currently completing the NCAA Membership Process and will be fully competing in league championships in the near future.