University of Tennessee Athletics
Tennis Vols Place Three Players in Preseason Rankings
December 11, 2001 | Men's Tennis
Dec. 11, 2001
The Tennessee tennis team will begin the 2002 season with three players ranked in the Intercollegaite Tennis Association rankings. The Vols were led by senior Mario Toledo, who enters the 2002 season ranked No. 14. The No. 14 ranking is up two spots for the Florida native, after posting a 14-7 record this fall. Toledo was joined in the singles rankings by newcomer Mark Dietrich. Dietrich, a freshman, will begin the spring season ranked No. 67. Dietrich had an impressive fall season, where he rung up a 15-6 record. Sophomore Simon Rea was listed among the doubles rankings with partner Toledo. The pair jumped 37 spots to No. 13 in the preseason rankings after posting a 7-4 record in the fall.
The preseason rankings did not have the same Vol presence as the Fall rankings, as three Vols singles players and a doubles pair fell from the rankings. Seniors Peter Handoyo and Adam Carey, ranked No. 11 and 30 respectively, did not compete for the Vols in the fall, but will be back to anchor the Vols team in the spring season. Sophomore Wade Orr fell out of the rankings after only achieving a 4-12 record in the fall. The tandem of Andy Crews and Mark Dietrich fell out of the rankings after being ranked No. 40 in the fall.
Vols Have Successful Fall Season
The Tennessee tennis team began the 2001 season with high expectations after returning four starters from last season's national runner-up squad. So far the Vol players have lived up to those expectations going into the team season in the spring, with four Vols capturing runner-up finishes in different tournaments during the fall season. Those same players also combined for an impressive 11 semifinal appearances at varying tournaments this fall.
The Vols were led this fall by senior Mario Toledo, who began the fall season ranked No. 16 nationally. The Florida native finished the tournament season with a 14-7 overall record, including a 5-5 mark against ranked foes. Toledo began the fall slowly before pulling it together to finish strong, winning 10 of his last 12 matches. Toledo's late season run included winning the consolation bracket at the national indoor tournament, which Tennessee head coach Michael Fancutt said (the national indoor tournament's consolation bracket) had more great players than any other tournament you will play in the fall. Before that Toledo had captured an impressive runner-up finish at the Region III championships and advanced to the semifinal round of the adidas Invitational. He will be relied upon heavily this spring as he will probably play in either the No. 1 or 2 position for the Vols.
The Vol netters also received a pleasant surprise this fall when freshman Mark Dietrich powered his way to a 15-6 record and turning into a possible difference maker for the Vols. The memphis native used his huge serve to down opponent after opponent, including several of the highest ranked players in the land. Dietrich's fall resume looks great as he had semifinal appearances at the Georgia Tech Invitational, the adidas Invitational and the Southern Intercollegiate championships. The freshman also recorded a finalist finish in the doubles draw at the Southern Intercollegiate and a round of 16 finish at the Region III singles championships. Coach Fancutt seems very pleased with Mark's play saying Dietrich would be a force for the Vols in the future. Dietrich will be expected to keep up his fine play this spring, as he will probably be named one of the Vols' starters.
Sophomore Simon Rea has also began the season strong, finishing the fall stanza with a 17-8 record. The New Zealand native also won his first collegiate tournament this fall at the Southern Intercollegiate Championships in Athens. Rea also had a unner-up finish at the MTSU Fall Invitational and was a doubles finalist at the Southern Championships with partner Mark Dietrich. Rea played in the No. 5 and 6 positions for the Vols last season and figures to be a key starter for the Vols once again in 2002.
Freshman Michael Maddox has had a good inaugural season for the Vols after redshirting in 2001. The Knoxville native stands at 12-7 on the season and has a runner-up finish to his credit in the division four singles bracket at the Southern Championships. Maddox also advanced to the semifinal round at the UT Fall Classic, a tournament he won a year ago as an unattached player. Sophomore Wade Orr has not had as promising a spring as he would have hoped after winning the ITA summer circuit title for 2001. The Clarksville product entered the season with a No. 86 national ranking, but has only managed a 4-12 record thus far.
"Returning three top 20 players for this season will be a good foundation for another run at the national title this season," Fancutt said. "We were looking for some of the younger guys to step this fall to become major components for team and some of them did. (Mark) Dietrich and (Simon) Rea have both done a great job this fall and they have shown me that we will be able to count on them this spring. I believe we will have a stronger team than last season's national runner-up team."
The Vol netters will next be in action Jan. 7 at the USTA Futures of Florida.
