Hampden-Sydney Close in Second, Bridgewater Third

 FOREST, Va. --- Washington and Lee University received eight first place votes and 98 total points to top the 2011 ODAC Men’s Tennis Preseason Poll.  Hampden-Sydney College picked up the remaining two top nods from the league’s coaches, leading to 92 poll points.  Bridgewater capped the top three with 78 tallies.

The 2011 spring season opens with several national and regional laurels for ODAC teams from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA).  The Generals currently rank 28^th nationally and seventh in the Atlantic South Region.  Hampden-Sydney is ninth in the region.

Generals’ sophomore Hayden White is the only ranked singles player from ODAC squads.  The 2010 ODAC Rookie of the Year and ITA Atlantic South Rookie of the Year enters the spring ranked 32^nd nationally and eighth regionally by the ITA.  He’s joined by teammate Will Hall to form the No. 14 doubles tandem in the region.  Roanoke College duo Alex Appelt and Jon Roy sit three spots higher in the 11^th position.

Washington and Lee features five of the 12 total returning singles players from the 2010 All-ODAC Teams.  White is expected to hold down the No. 1 singles position, where he went 10-6 overall and 4-1 in conference action to earn All-ODAC First Team honors.  Hall, the first team choice at No. 4 singles, spent time up and down the ladder in going 10-5 a season ago, 5-0 in ODAC play.  From the All-ODAC Second Team singles ranks, No. 2 Mac Davis (7-8, 5-1), No. 3 Jeremy Becht (8-5, 2-1) and No. 5 Michael Freeman (10-3, 3-0) form an experienced front line.  Becht and White (12-5, 5-0) combined as the first team No. 2 doubles pair while Davis and Hall (13-3, 5-0) did the same from the third position.  Jonathan Gaffney returns as one-half of the first team No. 1 doubles pair that went 7-8 and 4-1 in 2010.  In the fall, Hall and White reached the doubles quarterfinals at the ITA Southeast Regional Championships.

While Hampden-Sydney also welcomes back five All-ODAC singles players, the Tigers will be forced to replace the services of four-time ODAC Player of the Year, William Moss.  Looking to do just that are trio of first team returnees in No. 2 Rich Pugh (10-1, 5-1), No. 3 Shad Harrell (10-6, 7-1) and No. 5 Tal Covington (9-5, 6-1).  Two second teamers also head back to H-SC in No. 4 Kevin Calhoun (12-3, 7-0) and No. 6 Zack Pack (7-7, 5-2).  Pugh, also first team in 2010 at No. 1 doubles (11-4 with Moss), will look for a new partner in 2011.  The duos of Calhoun and Harrell (13-4, 7-1) at No. 2 and Covington and Pack (12-6, 7-1) at No. 3 were second team choices a year ago.

Bridgewater will see several experienced players back on the court, although they’ll be looking for a new No. 1 singles player this spring.  Peter Hawkins went 12-2 and 5-2 from the No. 2 spot, while Brad Dewitt (13-2, 7-2), Teddy Callow (13-3, 6-1) and Brent Floyd (14-2, 6-2) posted a combined 40-7 record from positions three, four and five.  Callow and Hawkins went 10-8 overall in doubles play, mostly at No. 2.

Roanoke is led by Jon Roy, who posted a 9-4 singles record including 7-4 from the top spot.  He and newcomer Appelt reached the quarterfinals at the ITA regionals in October, leading to their high region ranking to open the spring.  Also back is James Lee, who went 9-7 in singles play during his first season as a Maroon.

Guilford will be looking to new faces this season with several places in the ladder open for competition.  Jody Cox looks to build upon his positive showing after going 7-5 in singles action, including a 4-3 showing at No. 5.  Emory & Henry welcomes back All-ODAC Second Team No. 1 singles player Chip Wintringham.  He went 12-4 overall and 4-3 in ODAC play, all from the top position.  Mathew Nelson (13-4, 4-4), Adam Henderson (9-6, 4-4) and Ethan Brooks (11-3, 4-2) also return.

Virginia Wesleyan returns three players from last year’s squad including Donnie Greathouse (3-10, 3-5), Zak Bartley (2-10, 2-5) and Jamie Griffin (1-5, 1-3).  Brandon Brown returns for Lynchburg following an All-ODAC Honorable Mention selection at doubles (7-7, 5-4) a year ago.  He also went 4-8 and 3-6 in singles action.

Randolph-Macon and Randolph both look to make moves back up the conference ranks.  The Yellow Jackets feature top-rung returnee Kevin Lloyd (1-7, 1-6), who split time at No. 1 and No. 2 singles in 2010.  Yan Oo (1-9, 1-6) returns for the WildCats following a year as Randolph’s No. 1 singles player.

Listed below is the complete 2011 ODAC Men’s Tennis Preseason Poll.  For more information, visit the websites of any of the participating schools, or go to the ODAC’s home on the Internet at www.odaconline.com.  

2011 ODAC WOMEN’S TENNIS PRESEASON POLL 
(#) Denotes First Place Votes