Next Four Ranks Separated by only 19 Points

FOREST, Va. --- Washington and Lee University has hoisted seven consecutive conference trophies and was picked to repeat yet again as the Generals headline the annual ODAC Men's Tennis Preseason Poll conducted by the league's head coaches. W&L earned 10 first place votes on the way to 100 total points.

The next four ranks in the table are separated by just 19 points, with Bridgewater College sitting second with 82 tallies. Guilford College and its 70 points are just two ticks clear of Hampden-Sydney College for third place, although the Tigers did corral the final first place nod. Virginia Wesleyan College rounds out the tightly packed group with 63 points.

Washington and Lee has won a lot of championships across the ODAC's 24-sponsored sports, but none moreso than in men's tennis with the Generals capturing a 35th league crown in 2016 of 40 awarded by the conference since 1976-77.  The Generals, playing as the second seed, sliced thru Lynchburg College and Randolph-Macon College via a pair of 5-0 results. The going was a bit tougher against top-seeded Virginia Wesleyan, but W&L posed for yet another ODAC championship photo with a 5-2 win over the Marlins.

Play continued for Washington and Lee in the NCAA Division III Tournament, with the Generals traveling to Emory University for early round action. W&L took down N.C. Wesleyan, 5-4, in the opening match before falling to the host Eagles, 5-0, in round two. The trip to the second round did earn Washington and Lee a #38 ranking in the final ITA national poll.

That same position on the ITA chart is where W&L resides entering the 2017 spring campaign. The Generals are one of two teams slotted in the Atlantic South Region, occupying the eight position. Virginia Wesleyan opens ranked 15th despite a young roster following the graduation of a strong senior class that included last season's player of the year, Graham Wilson.

Just one player finds himself ranked by the ITA on the Atlantic South singles list. Jordan Krasner, the 2015 ODAC Player of the Year, is ranked 20th in the region and is poised to round back into form following a 2016 spring season that featured several missed matches due to injury.

Several teams will look for an uptick in production in 2017 as evidenced by solid performances at the ITA Regional Championship in the fall. Hampden-Sydney is arguably set for the biggest jump according to the league's coaches. At the ITA regionals, H-SC players combined for a 20-9 record powered by a strong first-year class that includes brothers Michael and Matthew Moody, who both competed (and won matches) in the championship singles and doubles draws.

Overall, conference squads welcome back a set of athletes that combined to earned 19 All-ODAC awards in 2016. Just five of those honors come from the All-ODAC First Team, lending to several new names on the conference's highest list come season's end. Washington and Lee's Will Bannister picked up first team honors at #3 singles and joined Krasner as the first team #1 doubles tandem. Krasner was an All-ODAC Second Team choice at #1 singles. Bridgewater's Kyle Hartfield returns to spearhead the Eagles rotation after earning first team honors at #1 singles and second team laurels at #2 doubles with partner Joe Dillenbeck.

The Generals also return Zack Ely, who received ODAC Rookie of the Year accolades in addition to a second team nod at #4 singles.

The 2017 spring season begins with non-conference action the weekend of Saturday, February 4.  The first ODAC match is slated for Thursday, February 23.

Listed below is the complete 2017 ODAC Men's Tennis Preseason Poll as well as preview capsules for each of the ODAC men's tennis programs.  For more information on ODAC men's tennis, visit the websites of any of the participating schools, or go to the ODAC's home on the Internet at www.odaconline.com.  Don't forget to become a fan of the ODAC on Facebook and follow @odacathletics on Twitter and odacathletics on Instagram.

2017 Poll Position: 2nd 2016 Records - Overall/ODAC: 10-10/8-2 2016 Tournament - Seed/Result: #3 Seed/Eliminated in semifinals Head Coach: Jordon Robinson Returning All-ODAC Players   First Team: Kyle Hartfield (#1S)   Second Team: Thomas Rishcoff (#2S), Joe Dillenbeck (#3S/#1D), Kyle Hartfield (#1D) Returning Singles Wins Leaders (top-5) Nathaniel Horner -- 13-3 (10-2 at #6) Joe Dillenbeck -- 11-9 (10-3 at #3) Kyle Hartfield -- 10-7 (10-7 at #1) Thomas Rishcoff -- 8-6 (7-5 at #2) Freddie Roberts -- 6-10 (5-4 at #5) Returning Doubles Wins Leaders (top-3) Nathaniel Horner/Freddie Roberts -- 8-7 (8-7 at #3) Joe Dillenbeck/Kyle Hartfield -- 7-3 (7-3 at #1) Emmett Johnson/Thomas Rishcoff -- 7-3 (7-3 at #2)		2017 Poll Position: 6th 2016 Records - Overall/ODAC: 12-5/6-4 2016 Tournament - Seed/Result: #4 Seed/Eliminated in semifinals Head Coach: Charles Gray Returning All-ODAC Players   First Team: None   Second Team: Alex Curnow (#5S), Stuart McCroskey (#6S) Returning Singles Wins Leaders (top-5) Stuart McCroskey -- 13-3 (12-2 at #6) Baxter Carter -- 12-2 (12-1 at #4) Jacob Haines -- 12-5 (11-3 at #3) Alex Curnow -- 10-4 (10-3 at #5) Phillip Terrono -- 1-0 (1-0 at #5) Returning Doubles Wins Leaders (top-3) Baxter Carter (w/ John Adam) -- 11-6 (11-6 at #1) Pablo Bordas/Jacob Haines -- 10-6 (10-6 at #3) Alex Curnow (w/ Tom Lewis) -- 9-7 (9-7 at #2)
2017 Poll Position: 11th 2016 Records - Overall/ODAC: 1-15/0-10 2016 Tournament - Seed/Result: Did not qualify Head Coach: Steve Brooks Returning All-ODAC Players   First Team: None   Second Team: None Returning Singles Wins Leaders (top-5) John Dalton Ferguson -- 8-9 (6-6 at #1) Luke Funkhouser -- 4-15 (2-9 at #3) Kamil Aliev -- 3-11 (2-8 at #2) Liam Davidson -- 3-11 (1-0 at #6) Andrew McClung -- 3-15 (1-4 at #4) Returning Doubles Wins Leaders (top-3) Luke Funkhouser (w/ Nathaniel Horner) -- 5-1 (2-0 at #3) John Dalton Ferguson (w/ Alex Minasyan) -- 3-2 (2-0 at #1) Kamil Aliev (w/ Jonathan Romano) -- 2-3 (1-1 at #2)		2017 Poll Position: 7th 2016 Records - Overall/ODAC: 8-8/6-4 2016 Tournament - Seed/Result: #5 Seed/Eliminated in quarterfinals Head Coach: Jake Morris Returning All-ODAC Players   First Team: None   Second Team: Holden Branham (#2D) Returning Singles Wins Leaders (top-5) Jose Alvarado -- 6-7 (3-0 at #3) Holden Branham -- 3-11 (2-9 at #4) Chris Teeple -- 3-11 (2-0 at #4) Neel Shah -- 2-3 (1-0 at #5) Matt Friedlander -- 1-0 (1-0 at #5) Returning Doubles Wins Leaders (top-3) Holden Branham (w/ Joey Ross) -- 8-2 (8-2 at #2) Jose Alvarado/Bill Goins -- 4-3 (4-2 at #3) Jose Alvarado/Chris Teeple -- 2-3 (1-1 at #2)
2017 Poll Position: 3rd 2016 Records - Overall/ODAC: 5-10/5-5 2016 Tournament - Seed/Result: #6 Seed/Eliminated in quarterfinals Head Coach: Dave McCain Returning All-ODAC Players   First Team: None   Second Team: Levi Bruff (#3D), Mesa Martorell (#3D) Returning Singles Wins Leaders (top-5) Levi Bruff -- 8-5 (6-4 at #5) Aaron Smedley -- 8-8 (6-5 at #4) Mesa Martorell -- 7-10 (5-5 at #2) Mason Church -- 6-10 (4-5 at #3) Graham Pearson -- 4-2 (4-1 at #6) Returning Doubles Wins Leaders (top-3) Levi Bruff/Mesa Martorell -- 9-1 (9-1 at #3) Chasen Chacon/Graham Pearson -- 6-9 (6-9 at #2) Aaron Smedley (w/ Erik Meiler) -- 5-5 (5-5 at #1)		2017 Poll Position: 10th 2016 Records - Overall/ODAC: 4-12/2-8 2016 Tournament - Seed/Result: Did not qualify Head Coach: Larry Hubbard Returning All-ODAC Players   First Team: None   Second Team: None Returning Singles Wins Leaders (top-5) Matt Hwang -- 6-9 (5-8 at #3) Brett Dubin -- 5-3 (5-3 at #4) Bryan Harris -- 1-11 (1-6 at #6) Returning Doubles Wins Leaders (top-3) Matt Hwang (w/ Steven Baker) -- 3-4 (3-4 at #1) Brett Dubin/Matt Hwang -- 2-1 (2-1 at #2) Brett Dubin (w/ Zach O'Neal) -- 1-3 (1-3 at #3)
2017 Poll Position: 4th 2016 Records - Overall/ODAC: 2-15/1-9 2016 Tournament - Seed/Result: Did not qualify Head Coach: Robert Bareford Returning All-ODAC Players   First Team: None   Second Team: None Returning Singles Wins Leaders (top-5) Nathan Horvit -- 7-10 (7-9 at #5) Patrick Bryant -- 3-10 (3-9 at #6) David Anderson -- 3-14 (3-13 at #4) Harrison Stone -- 3-14 (2-11 at #2) Andrew Loving -- 2-15 (2-11 at #3) Trent Singleton -- 2-15 (1-15 at #1) Returning Doubles Wins Leaders (top-3) Nathan Horvit/Trent Singleton -- 3-8 (2-7 at #2) David Anderson/Patrick Bryant -- 2-11 (2-9 at #1) Patrick Bryant/Nathan Horvit -- 1-1 (1-1 #3)		2017 Poll Position: 4th 2016 Records - Overall/ODAC: 17-7/10-0 2016 Tournament - Seed/Result: #1 Seed/Runner-up Head Coach: Marty Perry Returning All-ODAC Players   First Team: Brendan Kelleher (#3D)   Second Team: None Returning Singles Wins Leaders (top-5) Brendan Kelleher -- 8-4 (5-3 at #5) Jake Morgan -- 1-3 (1-1 at #6) Returning Doubles Wins Leaders (top-3) Brendan Kelleher (w/ Drew Tomajczyk) -- 14-3 (11-2 at #3)
2017 Poll Position: 9th 2016 Records - Overall/ODAC: 5-14/3-7 2016 Tournament - Seed/Result: #8 Seed/Eliminated in quarterfinals Head Coach: Christopher Clarke Returning All-ODAC Players   First Team: None   Second Team: None Returning Singles Wins Leaders (top-5) Andrew Link -- 9-8 (6-4 at #4) Bryce Barber -- 7-11 (3-4 at #4) Nick Savino -- 5-8 (4-7 at #6) Dom Gutierrez -- 4-15 (2-5 at #2) Will Nsoesie -- 2-2 (2-2 at #6) Returning Doubles Wins Leaders (top-3) Nick Savino (w/ Jordan Falinski) -- 6-13 (6-13 at #3) Bryce Barber/Andrew Link -- 3-10 (3-10 at #2) Dom Gutierrez (w/ Josh Johnson) -- 2-11 (2-11 at #1)		2017 Poll Position: 1st 2016 Records - Overall/ODAC: 16-9/9-1 2016 Tournament - Seed/Result: #2 Seed/ODAC Champions Head Coach: David Detwiler Returning All-ODAC Players   First Team: Will Bannister (#3S/#1D), Jordan Krasner (#1D)   Second Team: Jordan Krasner (#1S), Zack Ely (#4S-ROY) Returning Singles Wins Leaders (top-5) Will Bannister -- 23-4 (10-1 at #3) Zack Ely -- 17-6 (6-3 at #4) Jordan Krasner -- 10-8 (6-2 at #2) Justin Gillette -- 7-5 (4-1 at #5) Returning Doubles Wins Leaders (top-3) Will Bannister/Jordan Krasner -- 12-7 (9-5 at #1) Zack Ely (w/ Thomas Johnson) -- 4-5 (3-5 at #2) Will Bannister (w/ Thomas Johnson) -- 2-3 (2-2 at #1)
2017 Poll Position: 8th 2016 Records - Overall/ODAC: 10-7/5-5 2016 Tournament - Seed/Result: #7 Seed/Eliminated in quarterfinals Head Coach: Jamie Megginson Returning All-ODAC Players   First Team: None   Second Team: Bradley Strober (#1S/#1D), Doug Corbett (#1D) Returning Singles Wins Leaders (top-5) Bradley Strober -- 11-6 (8-5 at #1) JT von Seggern -- 8-4 (4-3 at #2) Trevor Johnson -- 8-9 (4-2 at #2) Doug Corbett -- 7-7 (3-2 at #5) Joe Kaneda -- 6-3 (2-3 at #6) Returning Doubles Wins Leaders (top-3) Bradley Strober/Tuan Tran -- 5-0 (3-0 at #3) Doug Corbett/Bradley Strober -- 5-5 (4-2 at #1) JT von Seggern (w/ Dario Schiano-Moriello) -- 4-6 (4-5 at #1)