The stakes are raised and expectations are higher than ever for the LSU men’s tennis team this season.
The Tigers are experience-laden, with four seniors in the lineup. Cory Ross, Bryan Fisher, Brandon Nicholson and Sebastian Rutka all returning for a final campaign.
But the experience does not stop there. Jason Hazley, a junior, is part of the preseason No. 7 doubles team in the country with Fisher. Junior Peter Richman is the No. 36-ranked singles player in the country in the Intercollegiate Tennis Associations preseason poll of Division I players.
“Practice has been real focused,” coach Jeff Brown said. “The guys have gotten together and talked about how important it is to have everybody together this year and have everybody pushing each other.”
The experience at the top is sure to filter down to some of the younger, unexperienced players.
The two highly-touted freshman – Colt Gaston and Danny Bryan – along with junior Ken Skupski have showed promise this fall, according to coach Jeff Brown.
“Their attitude is something,” Brown said. “They’ve come in and they’ve worked real hard and taken criticism and done something positive with it.”
LSU competed in the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Rice University earlier this fall and fared well. Fisher and Hazley advanced to the finals of the doubles tournament, only to fall to the No. 1 doubles team of brothers William and Richard Barker of Rice.
In singles play, Skupski blazed through the first two rounds of the tournament, upending two ranked players. Skupski knocked off No. 18 Richard Barker on the first day, then took out No. 64 Luis Haddock in the second round.
“Ken [Skupski] was ineligible all of last year,” Hazley said. “But this year he’s eligible and he’s hungry. He’s ready to do some great things.”
Next on the slate for the Tigers is the ITA All-American Championships. Pre-qualifying begins Oct. 3 in Chattanooga, Tenn. Three Tigers received automatic bids into the field – Richman for singles play and Hazley and Fisher for doubles.
“I think with our experience and with the level we’re at, we should have a lot of success,” Brown said. “We’ve got seniors. The young kids are very excited. We’ve got a whole bunch of different dynamics that will hopefully come together and everybody can have a lot to contribute.”