SPARTANBURG, S.C.- Coach Rod Ray and the Wofford men’s tennis team have released their 2009 schedule, opening the year at South Carolina and Georgia Tech, highlighted by a trip to south Florida.
Scheduling is an emphasis for Coach Ray and he is excited how the 2009 slate came together. “Scheduling is one of the most important things coaches do and I am thrilled with our upcoming season’s schedule. Rigorous is the best way to describe this schedule. We start the year off with four teams that are traditionally nationally ranked and it doesn’t get any easier from there.”
The Terriers will open the season with eight matches on the road, including one neutral-site contest. Wofford will open at SEC foe South Carolina on January 17,followed by a trip to Atlanta to take on the ACC’s Georgia Tech on January 18. A trip to southern Florida concludes the month as the team will take on Florida and Barry. The Terriers will then travel to the coast of South Carolina for a doubleheader on February 7 as they face Big South member Coastal Carolina and a nationally ranked Division II team, Mt. Olive, in Conway S.C. Wofford will cap off its early road swing with a match at Presbyterian and at cross-town rival USC Upstate.
Opening on the road with a schedule of this stature will be a good building block for a young team striving for a conference championship. Ray stated, “It’s pretty simple. If you have a good team with players of strong character, you should play a tough schedule. This schedule is a testimony to my players. Without a doubt, they are up to the challenge of being successful against such dynamite competition.”
Charlotte will pay a visit to the Reeves Tennis Center to open the Terriers home slate on February 25. Wofford will then welcome Ivy League member Cornell two days later. The Terriers will host UNC Asheville on March 5 before hosting a doubleheader of their own against Lipscomb and Gardner-Webb on March 8. Wofford will then hit the road to open Southern Conference play as it visits the Elon Phoenix on March 14.
The Terriers will return home for back-to-back conference matches against College of Charleston and Georgia Southern on the 20. A trip up the mountain to Boone, N.C., on March 27 will be next for the Terriers as they take on Appalachian State. The Citadel will then visit Wofford less than 24 hours later.
April opens with a trip to UNC Greensboro, along with a home contest against Chattanooga. Wofford will finish out its road trips for the year as it plays at Davidson on April 8 and Furman April 15. The Terriers will wrap up the regular season hosting SoCon newcomer Samford on April 18. The Southern Conference Tournament will be held April 23-26 at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center on the Elon campus in Elon, N.C.
With the spring schedule on the horizon, the Terriers will start to wrap up a successful fall campaign. Ray commented, “To date, our fall season has been great. We have seen real tangible progress every week. The players are working very hard and I believe we will continue to make great strides in our level of play.”
2009 Men’s Tennis Schedule
January 17 at South Carolina 10 a.m.
January 18 at Georgia Tech 2 p.m.
January 30 at Florida Atlantic Noon
February 1 at Barry Noon
February 7 at Coastal Carolina 10 a.m.
February 7 vs. Mount Olive^ 2 p.m.
February 11 at Presbyterian 3 p.m.
February 19 at USC Upstate 3 p.m.
February 25 Charlotte 2:30 p.m.
February 27 Cornell 3 p.m.
March 5 UNC Asheville 3 p.m.
March 8 Lipscomb 10 a.m.
March 8 Gardner-Webb 2:30 p.m.
March 14 at Elon* 1 p.m.
March 20 College of Charleston* 2 p.m.
March 21 Georgia Southern* Noon
March 27 at Appalachian State* 2 p.m.
March 28 The Citadel* Noon
April 4 at UNC Greensboro* Noon
April 5 Chattanooga* Noon
April 8 at Davidson* 3 p.m.
April 15 at Furman* 3 p.m.
April 18 Samford* 11 a.m.
April 23-26 Southern Conference Tournament TBA
(Elon, N.C.)
^ - in Conway, S.C.
* - Southern Conference match
