Miami tennis teams to begin play in tough ACC

New beginning, same attitude. Mere words that describe the fresh new outlook of the men’s and women’s tennis teams on their upcoming seasons this spring and commencement in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

The ACC will not only bring stiffer competition for both teams but a chance to prove what they have to offer on the court.

“The ACC is a battlefield and if we can improve and defeat some of the difficult teams we will be facing this season, then that’s a great accomplishment for us and a chance for us to move up in the rankings,” men’s Head Coach Mario Rincon said.

Beginning its first season in the ACC, the men will have to face 13 teams ranked in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s (ITA) top 75 spring rankings, including No. 3 Florida, No. 9 Duke and No. 10 Virginia. This will not be easy for the men as they enter the season ranked No. 48, but if strength as a team and determination are any measure of what can be expected this season, positive results should be expected.

Among the top competitors this season for the men are sophomore Josh Cohen and junior Tim Krebs, ranked Nos. 26 and 123, respectively, in the ITA. Cohen, who finished his fall season with an 8-4 record, and Krebs, who went 8-2 during the fall, will be definitely be prominent leaders for the team.

“This season is about playing the ‘A’ game and nothing else. The ACC is definitely a tennis conference and we will be facing a lot of difficult teams this season,” Rincon said.

The women will also be facing serious competition this season from No. 8 Duke and No. 15 North Carolina in the ACC. However, with the tremendous amount of talent on the team, such as No. 2 senior Megan Bradley and sophomore Audrey Banada, the women can be a force of dynamic proportions.

“We have to play with the same attitude as we did in the Big East, and with that same attitude we will have success this season,” Head Coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews said.

With players like Bradley, who ended her fall season with a 19-1 record and the ITA National Championship singles title, success this season for the women may not be too difficult.

The upcoming season will begin for the Hurricanes this week. The men will begin on Wednesday facing off against Florida Atlantic University at 3 p.m. at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center. The women will be hosting in-state rival Florida Atlantic to begin its season on Friday at 6 p.m. at Schiff.

Antoinette Cordova can be contacted at a.cordova@umiami.edu.