Men’s Tennis Makes Spring Debut with Tuesday Doubleheader

NEW ORLEANS – The Tulane men's tennis team will finally make its 2017 spring season debut this Tuesday, when they host Alcorn State for a doubleheader at the City Park Pepsi Tennis Center. The first match is scheduled to begin at Noon CT, followed by the second contest at 3 p.m.

Last spring, the Green Wave booked its first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2005, reaching the second round before bowing out to Elite-Eight finisher North Carolina. Tulane notched a 16-9 record and ended the year ranked No. 31 in the country.

This year, the Wave will be without the services of graduate and 2016 All-American Dominik Koepfer, who was the No. 1 ranked singles player for over three months last season. However, Tulane returns five veterans to the fold, along with five new freshmen, as the 2017 edition of the Wave begins the season receiving votes in the Oracle/ITA Top-25 poll.

"We all know we have a different kind of team this year, different kind of players, different energy, but that's a great thing," Tulane head coach Mark Booras said. "It's always a process of guys stepping up and filling up different roles, but the expectations remain just as high. This year's squad wants to be a Sweet-16 qualifier and back in the Top-25. They have a real desire to do something special for us."

Ready to step into the No. 1 singles role this spring will be junior Constantin Schmitz. The Germany native is ranked No. 54 in singles after picking up two ranked wins over the fall. Schmitz also reached the finals of the ITA Southern Regional, and won seven straight matches after starting in qualifying to reach the finals of the Niceville Futures Tournament.

Also look for seniors Sebastian Rey and Chi-Shan Jao to play major roles. Rey went 14-8 in dual matches last season at the No. 3 spot, while Jao was named an American Athletic All-Conference selection in doubles with a 17-5 dual record, ultimately qualifying for the NCAA Doubles Championships.

Sophomores Eric Wagner and Tyler Schick also return, as the latter saw action at the No. 6 spot as a freshman, going 11-7 in dual action with a perfect 4-0 mark against conference opposition during the regular season.

Tulane's new blood this spring consists of freshmen: Luis Erlenbusch, Tim Ruetzel, Chase Schupp and Jonathan Star, along with Ewan Moore who just joined up with the team at the start of January.

Schedule wise, Tulane takes on the immediate challenge of ITA Kick-off Weekend, Jan. 27-28, in Berkeley, California, challenging Pepperdine first, to where if successful, would face the winner of Cal Poly vs No. 5 California.

All-together, three Top-25 opponents are currently set for Tulane's 2017 schedule with No. 20 Mississippi State on Feb. 24 and No. 24 USF on March 30. Green Wave fans will have 10 opportunities to catch the men's squad at City Park, including a three-match home-stand to end the season which includes Tulsa, Rice and SMU.

Men’s Tennis Makes Spring Debut with Tuesday Doubleheader

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Players Mentioned

Luis Erlenbusch

Chi-Shan Jao

Dominik Koepfer

Ewan Moore

Sebastian Rey

Tim Ruetzel

Tyler Schick

Constantin Schmitz

Chase Schupp

Jonathan Star

Eric Wagner

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