University of Delaware Athletics
Fresh Faces Highlight Upcoming 2014-15 Delaware Men's Tennis Campaign
9/18/2014 4:10:00 PM | Men's Tennis
NEWARK, Del. – The University of Delaware men's tennis team will have quite a different look this season than in years past as the Blue Hens feature six underclassmen and a brand new head coach.
Chris Hincker“Losing Troy and Adam is a kick in the teeth,” remarked Hincker, a 2011 Delaware alum. “Those fellas simply knew how to win and that is invaluable. However, with their absence, I call on our current roster, new and old players alike, to live up to their full potential. Fortunately we've been able to keep Adam on board as a student assistant coach and having him around will be a great learning resource for our players.”
The Blue Hens will return five total players from last year while adding four freshmen to the mix.
Alex Sweet (Naples, Fla./Barron Collier) are the most experienced returners with 75 singles matches played between the two while classmate Tim Puterio (Kingston, R.I./South Kingstown) is in just his second season playing varsity tennis at UD.Also returning for the Hens are sophomores Roy Cheng (Shatin, Hong Kong/Sentinel Secondary School) and Tyler Flematti (Kingwood, Texas/Kingwood). The pair has appeared in just 20 singles matches combined.
“With such a young squad, you have to look to your veterans for leadership within the team,” Hincker stated. “I try to identify the true leaders and then empower each to do what they do best.”
Joining Delaware for their collegiate careers are freshmen Shane Jeffray (Manasquan, N.J./Wall Township), Matt Renzi (Pittsford, N.Y./Pittsford-Mendon), Henry Tell (Woodbury, N.Y./Syosset) and Colin Wong (Jalan Anggerik Eria, Malaysia).
Despite lacking experience, the Blue Hens are anxious to get back on the court and prove themselves.
“Practices have been progressing well, but we live for match play,” commented Hincker. “That is where the rubber meets the road and for me, it's the only way to truly get to know my players. These next few weeks will be used to gather some insights in order to tailor our training program for the spring championship season. This season will be a real battle as the CAA is a strong conference, but this team is full of competitors.”
Delaware kicks off the fall slate this Friday through Sunday at the sixth annual Saint Joseph's Invitational. Competition will take place on the courts of the SJU Tennis Complex at the Maguire Campus and on the Finnesey Courts.
The following weekend, the Hens travel to Annapolis, Md. for the Navy National All-Conference Invite, which takes place Sept. 26-28.
Players Mentioned
