2016 Georgia Gwinnett Men's Tennis Media Guide

Page 1

2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

1


GRIZZ

2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS

LY DIG

ITAL N

ETWO

RK

YOUR EXCL HOME FO U R LIV THE SIVE BE HIND E GAMES GRIZ -THE ZLIE , S! -SCE WEEKLY S NES COVE HOWS A ND RAG E BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS O F 2


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

Quick Facts ............................................... 2 2016 Schedule .......................................... 3

GEORGIA GWINNETT

Georgia Gwinnett College ........................ 4 Gwinnett County ..................................... 10 Atlanta .................................................... 12 Grizzly Athletics ...................................... 14 Grizzly Athletics Complex ...................... 16 GGC Tennis Facility..................................18 Dr. Darin. S. Wilson ................................. 20 Athletics Administration..........................22

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

2016 GRIZZLIES

Head Coach Chase Hodges .................. 26 Roster ...................................................... 28 NAIA Rankings.........................................29 ITA Rankings............................................30 Player Profiles ........................................ 31

GRIZZLY HISTORY

2014-15 Statistics & Review....................40 National Championships ........................44 All-Time Awards ......................................53 All-Time Roster.........................................55 Program Records ....................................56 Year-by-Year Results ...............................60 All-Time Series ........................................61

1


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS QUICK FACTS

COLLEGE INFORMATION

School Name ............... Georgia Gwinnett College Location .................................... Lawrenceville, Ga. Founded ......................................................... 2005 Enrollment ................................................... 12,000 Nickname .................................................. Grizzlies Colors ............................................ Green and Gray Affiliation ....................................................... NAIA Conference ..... Association of Independent Institutions President ............. Dr. Stanley “Stas” C. Preczewki Director of Athletics ................ Dr. Darin S. Wilson

GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS

First Season .............................................. 2012-13 Overall Record ................. 48-3 (.941) / 3 Seasons 2015 Record .................................................... 16-2 National Championships................ 2 (2014, 2015) A.I.I. Championships..................................1 (2014) Home Courts ......................... GGC Tennis Facility

2

COACHING STAFF

Head Coach ................................... Chase Hodges Record at GGC............ 48-3 (.941)/3 Seasons Career Record........246-63 (.796)/14 Seasons Alma Mater .................... UNC Wilmington, ‘98

SPORTS INFORMATION

Sports Information Director .......... Jason Hendrix Email ................................. jhendrix4@ggc.edu Office Phone ............................. 678.407.5039 Cell Phone ..................................678.371.9528 Website ................................ GrizzlyAthletics.com Facebook ..................................... Grizzly Athletics Twitter .......................................... @GrzlyAthletics Instagram..................................... Grizzly_Athletics

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS 2015-16 SCHEDULE Day September 11 September 12 September 13 September 14 September 25 September 26 September 27 October 15 October 16 October 17 October 18 October 16 October 17 October 18 November 12 November 13 November 14 November 15 February 5 February 6 February 12 February 13 February 14 February 19 February 20 February 20 February 21 March 11 March 11 March 12 March 13 March 14 March 25 March 30 April 5 April 8 April 9 April 10 April 10 April 15 April 16 April 17 May 6 May 7 May 8 May 17 May 18 May 19 May 20 May 21

Time N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 2:00 PM 10:00 AM 2:00 PM 2:00 PM 11:00 AM 9:00 AM 9:00 AM 3:00 PM 9:00 AM 9:00 AM 3:00 PM 12:00 PM 10:00 AM 2:00 PM 5:30 PM 12:00 PM 2:00 PM 1:00 PM 3:00 PM 9:00 AM 3:00 PM TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD

Opponent Southern Intercollegiate Championships Southern Intercollegiate Championships Southern Intercollegiate Championships Southern Intercollegiate Championships ITA South Regionals ITA South Regionals ITA South Regionals ITA Small College Championships ITA Small College Championships ITA Small College Championships ITA Small College Championships Grizzly Open Grizzly Open Grizzly Open USTA/ITA National Indoor Championships USTA/ITA National Indoor Championships USTA/ITA National Indoor Championships USTA/ITA National Indoor Championships @ USC-Aiken (S.C.) vs. The Citadel (S.C.) @ Lander (S.C.) vs. Dalton State (Ga.) @ Emory (Ga.) vs. Point (Ga.), Green & Gray Invitational vs. Middle Georgia, Green & Gray Invitational vs. Xavier (La.), Green & Gray Invitational vs. Pikeville (Ky.), Green & Gray Invitational vs. William Carey (Miss.), GGC Invitational vs. Cumberland (Tenn.), GGC Invitational vs. Tennessee Tech, GGC Invitational vs. Campbellsville (Ky.), GGC Invitational vs. Cumberlands (Ky.) vs. DePauw (Ind.) vs. West Alabama vs. Emory (Ga.) vs. Hawaii-Pacific, West Florida Invitational vs. Armstrong State (Ga.), West Florida Invitational vs. Valdosta State, West Florida Invitational @ West Florida, West Florida Invitational vs. TBD, GGC Invite vs. TBD, GGC Invite vs. Tusculum (Tenn.), GGC Invite vs. TBD, Independent/Unaffiliated Championships vs. TBD, Independent/Unaffiliated Championships vs. TBD, Independent/Unaffiliated Championships vs. TBD, NAIA National Championships vs. TBD, NAIA National Championships vs. TBD, NAIA National Championships vs. TBD, NAIA National Championships vs. TBD, NAIA National Championships

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

Location Athens, Ga. Athens, Ga. Athens, Ga. Athens, Ga. New Orleans, La. New Orleans, La. New Orleans, La. Sumter, S.C. Sumter, S.C. Sumter, S.C. Sumter, S.C. GGC Tennis Facility GGC Tennis Facility GGC Tennis Facility New York, N.Y. New York, N.Y. New York, N.Y. New York, N.Y. Aiken, S.C. GGC Tennis Facility Greenwood, S.C. Atlanta, Ga. Atlanta, Ga. GGC Tennis Facility GGC Tennis Facility GGC Tennis Facility GGC Tennis Facility GGC Tennis Facility GGC Tennis Facility GGC Tennis Facility GGC Tennis Facility GGC Tennis Facility GGC Tennis Facility GGC Tennis Facility GGC Tennis Facility Pensacola, Fla. Pensacola, Fla. Pensacola, Fla. Pensacola, Fla. GGC Tennis Facility GGC Tennis Facility GGC Tennis Facility GGC Tennis Facility GGC Tennis Facility GGC Tennis Facility Mobile, Ala. Mobile, Ala. Mobile, Ala. Mobile, Ala. Mobile, Ala.

3


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS

GEORGIA GWINNETT New

COLLEGE

Higher education is different at Georgia Gwinnett College, built from the ground up for student success. From the design of its facilities to its student mentorship, everything about GGC is designed to ensure that you get the most from your college experience. GGC’s innovative approach works, and word has gotten around. The campus now bustles with approximately 12,000 students from across Georgia and around the world. The “real world” is looking for well-rounded graduates who can succeed in today’s challenging workplace. That’s why at GGC, you’ll be immersed in an active learning environment designed to give you a global perspective and make you more marketable. We connect you to a world beyond your major and prepare you for a successful career after graduation. The moment you arrive, you’ll meet faculty members who will mentor you throughout your journey. They’ll teach you the complexities of neuroscience, and help you land an internship. Or tag team with you on a research project. Mentor, inspire, cheerlead, advise -- GGC professors take teaching to a whole new level. GGC isn’t your typical college, and it shows in everything we do.

4

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS

T COLLEGE

New

ATTITUDE Degrees & PROGRAMS MAJORS

Biology • Business Administration • Chemistry Criminal Justice/Criminology • Early Childhood Education • English • Environmental Science Exercise Science • History Information Technology • Mathematics • Nursing Political Science • Psychology • Special Education

MINORS

Business Administration • Criminal Justice/ Criminology English • Film • Geography • History Information Technology (ITEC) • Political Science Sociology

CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS Latin American Studies

CERTIFICATIONS Global Studies

ACADEMIC INTERESTS

Pre-Anesthesiologist Assistant Pre-Dental Hygiene • Pre-Dentistry Pre-Medical Technology • Pre-Medicine Pre-Optometry • Pre-Pharmacy • Pre-Physical Therapy • Pre-Physician’s Assistant • Pre-Radiologic Science • Pre-Respiratory Therapy • Pre-Veterinary Medicine BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

5


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS

GEORGIA GWINNETT The Future of

EDUCATION

6

All classes at Georgia Gwinnett are taught by highquality faculty who are here only because they love to teach. Since our classes are small, they give personal attention that other institutions can’t deliver. If you need help with an assignment or a course, they spend extra time with you, perhaps even over lunch. Our professors don’t have office hours. They are available to you in person or by e-mail, phone and text for questions. And they don’t just teach, they mentor. You will be assigned a specific faculty mentor, but all faculty fill this role. Whether you need advice about life, careers, internships or competing for a special academic program, they are there to inspire and encourage you. They’ll even recommend you for conferences, research projects and other activities that will help prepare you for your future. They will welcome you into the college community during your “March Through the Arch” ceremony, and they will personally congratulate you when you graduate. Think of them as your own personal coaching staff.

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS

T COLLEGE

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

7


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS

RESIDENCE LIFE Suite-Style

LIVING

8

Forget community bathrooms and bunk beds; GGC Residence Life Student Housing is decked out to the max. It’s nothing like your parents’ dormitories (more like chic apartments). We call it suite-style living, and it is competitively priced and costs less than you might think. Our apartment-style suites will have you feeling right at home, or even better. Your own private and spacious bedroom awaits you in a two-, three-, four, six-, eight- or 12-bedroom suite, with a bathroom for every two students in the suite. Each bedroom comes carpeted and fully-furnished with a comfy twin bed, night stand, dresser and desk, while living spaces feature plenty of plush seating for you to gather with friends and study, chat or watch the 46inch flat-screen television that comes standard in every suite. Well-equipped kitchenettes, study rooms, on-site laundry facilities that email or text you when your laundry is done and wireless internet are all part of our modern take on campus living.

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

9


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS

GWINNETT COUNTY Atlanta’s

PLAYGROUND

10

Gwinnett County is the second-most populous county in the state of Georgia and boasts a population of nearly 900,000 people and includes the cities of Auburn, Berkeley Lake, Buford, Dacula, Duluth, Grayson, Lilburn, Loganville, Norcross, Peachtree Corners, Snellville, Sugar Hill and Suwanee. Lawrenceville, which is home to Georgia Gwinnett College, is the county seat. The county contains some of the best entertainment options in the Atlanta metro area, from the Aurora Theatre, to the Infinite Energy Center, which has drawn in such acts as Justin Timberlake and Beyonce. For sports fans, in addition to being close to major sports teams in Atlanta, Lawrenceville also has professional teams in the AAA Gwinnett Braves and Atlanta Gladiators hockey team. For shoppers, Buford’s Mall of Georgia is the largest in the state, and Lawrenceville’s Sugarloaf Mills offers unique dining and entertainment options.

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

11


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS

ATLANTA Heart of it

ALL

12

Lawrenceville is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which ranks as the ninth-largest in the United States. In addition to being one of the most accessible cities to visit in the country, it also serves as the cultural and entertainment hub of the Southeast. The city was the host of the 1996 Summer Olympics and boasts major professional sports teams in the Braves, Falcons and Hawks, and the city will add a Major League Soccer franchise in 2017. Other attractions include the world’s largest aquarium and a number of museums that highlight the city’s historical significance during both the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement. The city also offers some of the best music, dining and shopping attractions in the country.

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

13


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS

GRIZZLY ATHLETICS Georgia Gwinnett College founded the Office of Athletics with the hiring of Director of Athletics Dr. Darin S. Wilson on July 28, 2011, and over that time, the Grizzlies have become a truly dominant force within the NAIA.

Pursuing

EXCELLENCE

14

The first athletic events took place on August 25, 2012, with a soccer doubleheader against Tennessee Temple, which saw the men and women combine to beat the Crusaders 21-1. The impressive athletic achievements have continued ever since, highlighted by back-to-back NAIA championships by the men’s tennis team. The women’s tennis team also won a national championship in its first season of eligibility in 2014, while men’s soccer, baseball and softball have each taken home A.I.I. titles over the past two seasons. All six Grizzly teams have achieved All-Americans over the past two years, and GGC squads are consistently ranked among the nation’s top 25.

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS


S

2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS

Our

MISSION

To develop lifelong leaders of character through academic and athletic excellence. BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

15


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS

GRIZZLY ATHLETICS State-of-the-Art

FACILITIES

The Grizzly Athletics Complex, complete with facilities for baseball, softball and soccer as well as a 25,000-square-foot administration building, was completed in 2013. The complex, which sits adjacent to the main entrance to campus, was built in a step-like manner to take advantage of the natural topography and welcome the GGC community and visitors to campus. The Grizzly Soccer Complex was the first to open and features a synthetic-turf playing surface with ample bleacher and hillside seating. The Grizzly Baseball and Softball Complexes feature natural grass fields, full dugouts and press boxes. The baseball stadium seats 800 and the softball stadium can accommodate 500. The main Athletics building hosts coaches’ and administrative offices, team locker rooms and meeting rooms, a weight room, sports medicine facilities, hospitality suites and a dedicated academic support center. The GGC Tennis Facility sits just north of the main Athletics Complex.

16

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS

S COMPLEX

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

17


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS

GGC TENNIS FACILIT Just a half-mile from the main Grizzly Athletics Complex sits the GGC Tennis Facility, one of the finest settings for collegiate tennis in the region.

State-of-the-Art

FACILITIES

Acquired by Georgia Gwinnett College in 2012, the facility features 16 fully-lit playing courts, locker rooms, player lounges, a weight room, a pro shop and both viewing decks and bleachers. In the summer of 2016, the facility underwent a major renovation which saw the Grizzlies’ main eight competition courts completely overhauled for a state-of-the-art playing surface. The facility buzzes with over 300 days of activity per year, including Grizzly Tennis matches and practices, junior academies and tournaments, lessons and clinics, adult league play and community events. The GGC Tennis Facility also includes four clay courts.

18

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS


TY

2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

19


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS ATHLETICS ADMINISTRATION

Dr. Darin S.

WILSON

Inaugural Director of Athletics National Athletics Director of the Year Dr. Darin S. Wilson established the Office of Athletics at Georgia Gwinnett College in late 2011 with the vision of being one of the nation’s premier programs. Off to an incredibly quick start, the Grizzlies are in the process of becoming just that. The Grizzlies seek to develop lifelong leaders of character through academic and athletic excellence, inspired by Wilson’s devotion to the student-athlete experience. He has instilled the program’s five core values of Service, Responsibility, Leadership, Sportsmanship and the Pursuit of Excellence. Committed to the idea of continuing professional development, Wilson holds a number of influential positions within the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and helps shape policy at the organization’s highest levels. He currently serves on the NAIA’s National Administrative Council, as well as on the NAIA’s Athletic Directors Association Executive Committee. Additionally, he is on the Executive Committee of the Association of Independent Institutions (A.I.I.), of which GGC is a member. Wilson’s drive to provide an unparalleled student-athlete experience committed to character-driven intercollegiate athletics has resulted in tremendous early success for the Grizzlies, who currently field teams in baseball, softball, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, men’s tennis and women’s tennis. In under four seasons, the Grizzlies have already captured three NAIA national championships, five A.I.I. championships and an NAIA Champions of Character team award. In addition, dozens of student-athletes have earned All-American status, Scholar-Athlete recognition and President’s List distinction. During the program’s very first season of postseason eligibility in 2013-14, four of the Grizzlies’ six teams competed in the NAIA national tournament, each reaching a national top-10 ranking. Eighteen players secured All-American status over the course of the year and the men’s and women’s tennis teams delivered GGC’s first-ever national titles on May 17, 2014, in Mobile, Ala. Through three-plus seasons on the field, the Grizzlies have far exceeded expectations with a 405-163-12 (.698) overall record across all sports through Fall 2015, earning a pair of conference championships in men’s soccer, plus one each in men’s tennis, baseball and softball. For much of this success, and his impact on the student-athlete experience, Wilson was recognized with his second career Under Armour NAIA Athletics Director of the Year Award in summer, 2015. The Grizzlies also have successfully bid for and hosted postseason championships in men’s soccer, women’s soccer, softball and baseball, with men’s and women’s tennis joining that list in spring 2016.

20

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS ATHLETICS ADMINISTRATION

Student-athletes at Georgia Gwinnett College compete at the state-of-the-art Grizzly Athletics Complex, a $15 million facility which features baseball, softball, soccer and tennis complexes, plus a 25,000-square-foot Athletics building with staff offices, team locker rooms, a weight room, training areas, hospitality suites and academic resource space. Wilson was instrumental in the concept, development and construction phases of the entire project, delivering the Grizzlies one of the nation’s elite athletic complexes. Wilson chairs GGC’s intercollegiate athletics committee, and with Wilson’s leadership, the college successfully completed admission into the NAIA in April of 2012. August 25, 2012 marked the historic Opening Day for Grizzly Athletics, with a pair of men’s and women’s soccer victories highlighting the occasion. Wilson looks forward to the athletic program’s continued growth and progress at a rapid rate. He brought a wealth of experience to his position as GGC’s first Director of Athletics, coming from Union College in Barbourville, Kentucky. He had served as the athletics director since 2003, following a five-year stint as baseball coach. His departure ended 18 years of involvement with Union, from an undergraduate student-athlete to leading the athletics program.

the athletic booster club and managing a multi-million dollar operational and scholarship budget. For his accomplishments, Wilson was selected as the 2010-2011 NAIA National Athletics Director of the Year in the spring of 2012. He was recognized as the AAC Athletic Director of the Year in 2008, 2009 and 2011, the NAIA Region XII Athletic Director of the Year in 2008, and the 2009-10 NAIA Under Armour AD of the Year for the Southeast Region by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA). Wilson’s time as a coach and player at Union were marked by success as well. He posted a 161-106-1 baseball coaching record and was named the 2001 Mid-South Conference Coach of the Year, setting a school record with 41 wins. As an undergraduate, Wilson was selected as Male Athlete of the Year while playing for Union. His collegiate playing career began on the diamond at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. Wilson has a master’s in education from Union College and a Ph.D. in higher education leadership from Capella University in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He resides in Gwinnett County with his wife, Natalie, and has two children, Drew and Mara.

During Wilson’s time at Union, the college won 47 Appalachian Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament championships, four Midwest Collegiate Cycling Conference titles, and six NAIA Region XII championships. Union was awarded the AAC Duard Walker All-Sports Trophy for the first time in school history in 2010. Forty-seven players were named NAIA ScholarAthletes, and four players were selected as CoSIDA Academic All-America Team members. Wilson oversaw extensive renovation of Union’s sports facilities, including baseball and football locker room remodels, new scoreboards and press boxes, the installation of a $1 million synthetic turf multi-purpose field, and the expansion of athletic training facilities. The athletics overhaul made Union’s facilities some of the best in the NAIA. Wilson also grew Union’s department of athletics from 15 intercollegiate programs to 23, while effectively revitalizing

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

21


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS ATHLETICS ADMINISTRATION Dr. Darin S. WILSON

Director of Athletics

Dr. Ian POTTER

Assistant Athletics Director for Internal Operations & Compliance

James WILLIAMS

Head Athletic Trainer

Assistant Athletics Director for Business Operations; S.W.A.

Shira WILLIAMS

Assistant Athletic Trainer

Doug COURT

Operations Manager

22

Erin PRICE

Ned COLEGROVE

Assistant Athletics Director for External Operations

Matt MAHONY

Video & Broadcast Coordinator “Voice of the Grizzlies”

Kyle NORTON

Facilities & Grounds Manager

Jason HENDRIX

Sports Information Director

Dr. Suzanne BIEDENBACH

Faculty Athletics Representative

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

23


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS

2016

GRIZZLIES

24

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

25


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS 2016 GRIZZLIES

Chase

HODGES

Head Coach Head Coach Fourth Season 4TH SEASON Tennessee Temple ‘95 Chase Hodges is the first head coach in Georgia Gwinnett tennis history, and in his three-year stay in Lawrenceville, he’s been named national coach of the year three times by the NAIA and twice by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. A decorated coach at all levels of collegiate tennis, Hodges delivered GGC its first-ever national titles in any sport with both the Men’s and Women’s 2014 NAIA National Championship titles. He was able to repeat the feat with the men this past year as he guided them to the 2015 crown while the women finished as the national runner-up. Hodges has 17 years of collegiate coaching experience--including the last 14 as a head coach--and boasts the distinction of being the only head coach in college tennis history to lead seven different programs to an ITA national ranking. Those programs include the women’s tennis teams from Longwood, UNC Asheville and GGC as well as the men’s teams from UNC Asheville, Drake, Georgia State and GGC. For six of the seven programs, it marked the first ITA rankings in school history. He owns a career 328-108 (.752) combined men’s and women’s record as a head coach, including a 246-63 men’s record. Hodges also oversees operations at the GGC Tennis Facility in Lawrenceville. It was another banner year for the Grizzly men in 2015 as they played unquestionably the toughest schedule in the country, beating opponents from all three NCAA divisions as well as the NAIA to finish the year with a 16-2. In all, GGC beat 11 teams ranked in their respective division, including 2014 NCAA Division II champion West Florida. Led by a line-up that featured five All-Americans, including three first teamers, the Green and Gray coasted through the NAIA National Championships in May, winning all four matches in 5-0 fashion. Hodges earned the ITA National Coach of the Year award for the second successive season, and he further added to that with the same NAIA honor following the tournament. Five Grizzly men ended the year ranked within the nation’s top 50, marking the first time that any four-year program, regardless of division, had achieved that feat in two years. The Grizzly women posted an 11-7 record in 2015, led by the nation’s top-ranked player in sophomore Valeria Podda. The talisman for the Green and Gray for much of the year, she led the way for a GGC line-up that featured five All-Americans at the national tournament as the team came up just short of claiming back-to-back titles, falling 5-4 in the championship match to Auburn-Montgomery. The GGC men’s squad went 21-0 in 2014, capping an unbeaten season with a 5-1 victory over defending-champion Embry-Riddle (Fla.) in the national title match. The Grizzlies earned six NAIA All-Americans, including three First-Team selections. During the year, the Grizzlies knocked off NCAA Division I, II and III teams, plus the top NAIA programs. Meanwhile, the GGC women’s squad edged the men’s team for the first trophy by a matter of hours, winning the 2014 championship earlier in the day on the same courts at the Mobile Tennis Center, also against Embry-Riddle, in a dramatic 5-4 decision. It stood as Hodges’ 300th career win as a head coach in collegiate

26

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS 2016 GRIZZLIES

tennis. The Grizzlies had eight NAIA All-Americans on the season, including a pair of First-Team players. During the year, the GGC women also earned victories against NCAA Division I, II and III competition, plus the top NAIA programs. Following the championships, Hodges was named NAIA National Coach of the Year for both men’s and women’s tennis, capping the Grizzlies’ very first season of postseason eligibility with a pair of No. 1 rankings. He also was named 2014 Wilson/ITA NAIA Men’s Tennis Coach of the Year, days after being named South Region winner.

Hodges is the proud father of Gabriella Hodges.

He has recruited some of the top players from around the country and around the world to lay the foundation of the Grizzly program, developing many outstanding student-athletes. In addition to the Grizzlies’ on-court success, the men’s tennis team has held the highest team GPA among Grizzly Athletics programs. In Hodges’ first season at GGC in 2013, the Grizzlies posted an 11-1 men’s record and a 5-3 women’s record, marking the first seasons of competition in school history. Hodges came to GGC from Division I Georgia State University in Atlanta, where he capped his three-year tenure by being named Colonial Athletic Association Co-Coach of the Year in April 2012. Hodges’ time with the Panthers (2010-12) featured the greatest turnaround in men’s collegiate tennis history, as he inherited a 1-20 team and led them to a 15-6 mark in his first season. He then set a school record with 21 victories in 2011 and added 20 more wins to the ledger the following year for a 56-17 mark over three years. Before GSU, Hodges spent four successful years (2005-09) at the helm of the Drake University program, where he guided the Bulldogs to a Missouri Valley regular-season or conference tournament title in each season. He was named the Missouri Valley Coach of the Year three times, leading the squad to an 85-17 overall record. Hodges’ Drake team also achieved the highest ITA national ranking in school history at No. 33, at one point boasting the nation’s longest regular-season winning streak at 42 matches. Before Drake, Hodges spent four combined seasons as head coach at University of North Carolina-Asheville (2002-05) and Longwood University in Farmville, Va., (2002), leading both the men’s and women’s programs. During this time, he led his teams to an overall 105-58 record and their first rankings in school history. A native of Hickory, N.C., Hodges played two years collegiately at North Carolina State University before finishing his career at UNCWilmington. He earned his bachelor’s degree from UNCW in 1998 and a master’s degree there three years later while working with the Seahawks as a graduate assistant.

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

Hodges after claiming both the 2014 NAIA Men’s and Women’s Tennis National Championships May 17, 2014, at the Mobile Tennis Center in Mobile, Ala.

CAREER RECORD 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Longwood (Va.) 12-10 UNC Asheville 14-5 UNC Asheville 15-7 UNC Asheville 16-5 Drake (Iowa) 24-3 Drake (Iowa) 23-3 Drake (Iowa) 24-1

2009 Drake (Iowa) 14-10 2010 Georgia State 15-6 2011 Georgia State 21-5 2012 Georgia State 20-5 2013 Georgia Gwinnett 11-1 2014 Georgia Gwinnett 21-0 2015 Georgia Gwinnett 16-2 TOTAL 246-63

27


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS 2016 GRIZZLIES Name

Cl.

Hometown

Previous School

Pronunciation

Gilad Berman

SO

Ramat Hasharon, Israel

UNLV

GEE-lahd Berman

Connor Clements

JR

Charleston, S.C.

S.C. Virtual Charter

CLEM-ints

Jordan Cox

JR

Sarasota, Florida

Keystone National HS

Jorge Gonzalez

FR

Guadalajara, Mexico

COBAEJ

Matias Hatem

SR

San Miguel De Tucuman, Arg.

Georgia State

mah-TEE-us ATE-em

Kevin Konfederak

SO

Buenos Aires, Argentina

I.E.D

kun-FED-er-ak

Tony Licata

SR

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Universidad de Palermo

luh-COT-a

Lachlan McPhee

SO

Brisbane, Australia

Kelvin Grove State College

LOCK-lin

Luke Morland

SR

Gold Coast, Australia

Trinity Lutheran College

Coaching Staff Chase Hodges

Head Coach, 4th Season

Courtney Rutherford

Assistant Coach, 3rd Season

COACHING STAFF

HEAD COACH CHASE HODGES

28

ASSISTANT COACH COURTNEY RUTHERFORD

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS NAIA TEAM RANKINGS

Preseason Poll: January 26, 2016 Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

Previous 1 4 5 6 7 8 9 11 13 16 12 15 14 18 17 19 22 24 25 23 RV NR RV RV RV

School (First Place Votes) 2015 Final Pts. Georgia Gwinnett (12) 312 Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) 302 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 289 Xavier (La.) 282 Northwestern Ohio 273 San Diego Christian (Calif.) 264 William Carey (Miss.) 251 Coastal Georgia 240 Dalton State (Ga.) 218 McPherson (Kan.) 217 Keiser (Fla.) 206 Reinhardt (Ga.) 200 Bethany (Kan.) 195 Campbellsville (Ky.) 184 Westmont (Calif.) 183 Graceland (Iowa) 156 Cardinal Stritch (Wis.) 154 Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) 135 Asbury (Ky.) 128 Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) 117 SCAD Savannah (Ga.) 115 Cumberland (Tenn.) 110 Aquinas (Mich.) 82 Marian (Ind.) 80 Tennessee Wesleyan 79

Dropped from the Top 25: Oklahoma Baptist, Belhaven (Miss.), Concordia (Calif.), Vanguard (Calif.) Receiving Votes: Pikeville (Ky.) 58, Martin Methodist (Tenn.) 46, Missouri Valley 38, Middle Georgia State 22, Southeastern (Fla.) 21, Goshen (Ind.) 18, Friends (Kan.) 11, Indiana Southeast 10, Union (Ky.) 7, Cornerstone (Mich.) 6, Indiana Wesleyan Crossroads 6, Biola (Calif.) 4, Brescia (Ky.) 4, Baker (Kan.) 3

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

Top 25 Highlights courtesy of the NAIA (historical information dating back to 2000): • Georgia Gwinnett starts off its season with a No. 1 ranking after winning its second-consecutive national title on May 17, 2015 in a 5-0 victory over former-member Embry-Riddle (Fla.). The Grizzlies hauled in 11 out of 12 first-place votes and 312 total points. • Last season, Georgia Gwinnett held the No. 1 positon throughout the entire season and looks to continue that steak in its 2016 season. • The Grizzlies begin their title defense on Feb. 5 against NCAA Division II USC-Aiken (S.C.). • No. 24 Marian (Ind.) makes its way into the Top 25 Poll for the first time in program history. The Knights were 19-6 last season. • No. 22 Cumberland (Tenn.) sees Top 25 action for the first time since March 17 of the 2015 season. • The Southern States Athletic Conference leads all leagues with four teams represented each. • Georgia Gwinnett (2015), Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) (2009, 08, 07) Fresno Pacific (Calif.) (2011, 10), Azusa Pacific (Calif.) (2006, 04) and Oklahoma City (2001, 00) are the only teams to go the entire season ranked No. 1. • Auburn Montgomery has the most No. 1 rakings in the Top 25 (29), Azusa Pacific and Fresno Pacific are second with 23 each.

29


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS ITA RANKINGS

Men’s Tennis - National Doubles Rankings

As of Nov. 24, 2015

Men’s Tennis - National Singles Rankings Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50

Player Kevin Konfederak Jordan Cox Oscar Mancineiras Cornella David Veliz Spartak Rahachou Vladyslav Ladygin Daniel Rueda Karan Salwan Matias Hatem Kyle Montrel Vincent Dubosclard Fabio Perasso Brendan Aguilar Leonardo Urquidi Lachlan McPhee Alessandro Moriano Rafael Bulnes Joan Marc Fajula Michael Rjazanov Ahmed Lahlou Rik van Gerwen Carl-Philip Lindqvist Borja Perez Rafael Lenz Juan Mateus Alejandro Soriano Daniel Superlano Tony Licata Seth Moore Denis Porcic Philip Westwood Daiki Naka Heitor Garcia Travis Kimsey Luke Morland Oscar Chang Tun Jie Christian Mathis Martin Martins Francisco Mendieta William East Raul Mendez Hector Carillo-Perales Tushar Mandlekar Jan-Erik Iserman Lucas Lee Nikolay Nikiforov Blake Barnard Mauricio Mosquera Richard Sec Francisco Perafan

30

School 2015 Final Rank Georgia Gwinnett 5 Georgia Gwinnett 2 Olivet Nazarene 12 Southeastern 16 Baker NR Campbellsville 27 Northwestern Ohio 10 Xavier NR Georgia Gwinnett 6 Xavier 8 Auburn-Montgomery 7 Cardinal Stritch 45 San Diego Christian 11 San Diego Christian 26 Georgia Gwinnett 40 San Diego Christian 46 McPherson NR McPherson 20 San Diego Christian NR McPherson NR Northwestern Ohio 35 Westmont 32 Graceland 43 Keiser NR Bethany NR Campbellsville 44 San Diego Christian NR Georgia Gwinnett NR Arizona Christian NR Lindsey Wilson 24 Biola NR SCAD-Savannah NR Missouri Valley NR Westmont NR Georgia Gwinnett NR Graceland NR Westmont NR Keiser NR Auburn-Montgomery NR Cardinal Stritch NR Lindsey Wilson NR McPherson NR Xavier NR San Diego Christian NR Biola NR Dalton State NR Baker NR Hope International NR Westmont NR Warner NR

Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

Doubles Team Cox/Konfederak Rueda/Johansson Hatem/McPhee Aguilar/Urquidi Moriano/Superlano Bulnes/Fajula Perrasso/Weich Porcic/Mendez Naka/Naka Lee/Mountain Soriano/Ladygin Rendon/Castro Salwan/Mandlekar Rahachou/Barnard Isermann/Rivera Lahlou/Carillo-Perales Kimsey/Lindqvist Staley/Hajdu Veliz/Rawls Licata/Morland Perez/Chang Vivas/Mendieta Mathis/Dill Galeffi/Moore Lenz/Guerschanik

School 2015 Final Rank Georgia Gwinnett 6 Northwestern Ohio 5 Georgia Gwinnett NR San Diego Christian 8 San Diego Christian NR McPherson NR Cardinal Stritch NR Lindsey Wilson 18 SCAD-Savannah NR Biola NR Campbellsville 19 Southwest NR Xavier NR Baker NR San Diego Christian NR McPherson NR Westmont NR SCAD-Savannah NR Southeastern (FL) NR Georgia Gwinnett NR Graceland NR Auburn-Montgomery NR Westmont NR Arizona Christian NR Keiser NR

Men’s Tennis - South Region Singles Rankings Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Player Kevin Konfederak Jordan Cox David Veliz Karan Salwan Matias Hatem Kyle Montrel Vincent Dubosclard Lachlan McPhee Rafael Lenz Tony Licata Daiki Naka Luke Moreland Martin Martins Francisco Mendieta Tushar Mandlekar Nikolay Nikiforov Francisco Perafan Luis Vivas Adam Hornby Nicolas Guerschanik

School Georgia Gwinnett Georgia Gwinnett Southeastern (FL) Xavier Georgia Gwinnett Xavier Auburn-Montgomery Georgia Gwinnett Keiser Georgia Gwinnett SCAD-Savannah Georgia Gwinnett Keiser Auburn-Montgomery Xavier Dalton State Warner Auburn-Montgomery Dalton State Keiser

Men’s Tennis - South Region Doubles Rankings Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Player Jordan Cox/Kevin Konfederak Matias Hatem/Lachlan McPhee Kenta Naka/Daiki Naka Karan Salwan/Tushar Mandlekar Quentin Staley/Sean Hajdu David Veliz/Noah Rawls Tony Licata/Luke Moreland Luis Vivas/Francisco Mendieta Rafael Lenz/Nicolas Guerschanik Jakov Tshirkin/Axel Lucich

School Georgia Gwinnett Georgia Gwinnett SCAD-Savannah Xavier SCAD-Savannah Southeastern (FL) Georgia Gwinnett Auburn-Montgomery Keiser Cumberland (TN)

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS 2016 GRIZZLIES

Matias

Senior San Miguel de Tucuman, Argentina

HATEM FALL 2015: Ended season ranked No. 9 nationally ... Put together

4-2 record in singles, ultimately falling in the semifinals of the ITA regional to teammate Kevin Konfederak ... Also hoisted regional crown in doubles with partner Lachlan McPhee and ended the year with a No. 3 national ranking ... Duo would post a 6-1 record for the season, falling to Konfederak and Jordan Cox in the NAIA national championship match.

SPRING 2015: First Team All-American ... Ended the season ranked No. 6 in singles by the ITA ... Went 9-1 in singles with an 8-1 mark at No. 3 ... Earned decisive victory over Nick Bradley of NCAA Division I member The Citadel ... Picked up only Division II ranked victory over No. 23 Fernando Rivas of sixth-ranked Lynn ... Also knocked off No. 2 Rafe Mosetick of Division III power Emory ... Went 17-2 in doubles ... Posted 7-0 record with Kevin Konfederak ... Finished season with Connor Clements, putting together a 7-0 mark to end with a No. 10 national ranking. FALL 2014: Put together 5-2 singles record ... Advanced to regional final, where he fell to teammate Jordan Cox ... Beat Belhaven’s Daniel Duarte in the first round before eliminating the Auburn-Montgomery trio of Miguel Grifol, Birkir Gunnarson and Nicolas Pinones ... Also picked up an NCAA Division I win at Southern Intercollegiate Championships, posting a 6-3, 6-0 decision over Virginia Tech’s Jai Corbett ... Compiled a 5-1 doubles record, including a perfect 5-0 record with Jordan Cox at Grizzly Open ... Beat an NCAA Division I duo from Alabama State in the opening round and then knocked off teammates Luke Morland and Lachlan McPhee in the tournament final. SPRING 2014:

First Team All-American ... Put together a perfect 17-0 singles record, peaking at No. 21 in the national rankings ... Played mostly at No. 3, going 11-0 ... Began GGC career with a 6-3, 6-0 decision vs. Dalton State’s Adam Hornby at No. 3 ... Played two matches at No. 1, winning both and beating Alex Johnston of Middlebury and Alex Ruderman of Emory ... Played three matches at No. 2, highlighted by a 6-1, 6-2 win over Division II Armstrong State’s Jaan Kononov, who was ranked 39th in the country ... Went 2-0 at unaffiliated/independent tournament, beating Corey Carter of Fisk and Viktor Svoboda of Xavier, helping the Grizzlies to the title ... Lost just 11 games over four matches at NAIA Championships, going 3-0 with victories over Pedro Rodrigues (Cumberland), Vincent Dubosclard (Auburn-Montgomery) and Patrick Besch (Embry-Riddle) ... Tied for a team-best 19-1 record in doubles, including a perfect 13-0 mark with partner Connor Clements, which included 12 matches at No. 3 ... Began season with Luke Morland at No. 3, compiling a 6-1 record.

PRIOR TO GGC: Named 2012 Colonial Athletic Association Rookie

of the Year at Georgia State ... Also named an All-CAA First Team Singles member ... Earned All-CAA Second Team Doubles honors ... Posted a 21-3 singles record on the season, the second-highest win total for a freshman in GSU history ... Notched a perfect 10-0 record playing in the No. 2 slot ... Set a school record for consecutive singles wins for a freshman (15) ... Ranked No. 1

in the Tucuman province of Argentina from 2009-12 ... Ranked No. 1 in the city of San Miguel de Tucuman in the Tucuman province of Argentina from 2009-12 ... Ranked No. 4 in 2008 ... Played in the Argentina Futures games in 2008 and 2009 ... Named Sportist of the Year in the Tucuman Province by “La Gaceta” in 2008 after posting a 51-4 record that year ... Also named Sportist of the Year in 2008 by the Tucuman province and the Tennis Association of Tucuman ... Was named a National G1 in 2008 ... Named No. 1 on the Prince Tennis Team ... Competed in the Tucuman Masters Cup in 2011.

PERSONAL: Born Matias Alejandro Hatem on April 24, 1992 in San Miguel de Tucuman, Argentina ... Son of Argentino and Silvia Hatem ... Brother, Hernan, also played tennis for GGC.

Singles Position in Lineup Year Overall Fall Spring 1 2 3 4 5 6 2013-14 17-0 - 17-0 2-0 3-0 11-0 1-0 - 2014-15 14-3 5-2 9-1 - - 8-1 1-0 - 2015-16 4-2 4-2 - - - - - - Total 35-5 9-4 26-1 2-0 3-0 19-1 2-0 - -

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

Doubles Year Overall Fall Spring 2013-14 19-1 - 19-1 2014-15 22-3 5-1 17-2 2015-16 6-1 6-1 - Total 47-5 11-2 36-3

Position in Lineup 1 2 3 - 1-0 18-1 3-2 7-0 7-0 - - 3-2 8-0 25-1

31


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS 2016 GRIZZLIES

Tony

LICATA

Senior Buenos Aires, Argentina

FALL 2015: Ranked 28th in singles in the NAIA ... Posted 6-1 record,

highlighted by a trip to the final of the Grizzly Open ... Also ranked 20th nationally in doubles with partner Luke Morland, posting a 2-1 record and falling in the semifinals of the ITA regional to teammates Jordan Cox and Kevin Konfederak.

SPRING 2015: Posted 6-4 record in singles with a 4-1 mark at No. 5 ... Also went 0-1 in doubles. FALL 2014: Put together a 3-2 singles record ... Went 3-1 at the Grizzly Open, beating Point’s Daniel Blanchard and the Emory duo of Josh Goodman and Roberto Bazzarella. PRIOR TO GGC: Ranked as high as No. 5 in Argentina at the U18 level and No. 7 at U16.

PERSONAL: Born Stefano Martin Licata on July 25, 1989, in Buenos Aires, Argentina ... Son of Juan and Adriana Licata.

Singles Position in Lineup Year Overall Fall Spring 1 2 3 4 5 6 2014-15 9-6 3-2 6-4 - - - - 4-1 2-3 2015-16 6-1 6-1 - - - - - - Total 15-7 9-3 6-4 - - - - 4-1 2-3

32

Doubles Year Overall Fall Spring 2014-15 0-1 0-1 - 2015-16 2-1 2-1 - Total 2-2 2-2 -

Position in Lineup 1 2 3 - - - - - - -

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS 2016 GRIZZLIES

Luke

MORLAND

Senior Gold Coast, Australia

FALL 2015: Ranked 35th in singles ... Posted 5-3 record ... Also ranked

20th nationally in doubles with partner Tony Licata, posting a 2-1 record and falling in the semifinals of the ITA regional to teammates Jordan Cox and Kevin Konfederak.

SPRING 2015: Put together 5-1 record in singles, playing entirely at No. 6 ... Also went 11-7 in doubles ... Partnered with Lachlan McPhee to post an 8-5 record ... Went 3-2 with Matias Hatem. FALL 2014: Went 2-2 in singles play ... Began season with a 3-6, 7-5,

6-2 victory over a Division I opponent in Vanderbilt’s Tate Allwardt at Southern Intercollegiate Championships ... Also won once at regional, beating William Carey’s Valentin Bayh to advance to the round of 16 ... Compiled 6-2 doubles record ... Teamed with Jordan Cox to beat Division I teams from Davidson and East Tennessee State at Southern Intercollegiates ... Put together a 4-1 record with Lachlan McPhee at the Grizzly Open, falling to teammates Jordan Cox and Matias Hatem by a score of 8-6 in the final.

SPRING 2014:

Ended 3-0 in singles play ... Beat SCAD Savannah’s Yulin Liu at No. 5 by a score of 6-1, 6-1 ... Went 2-0 in the sixth spot, picking up wins over Brandon Sanders of Morehouse and Garry Tokas of Cumberland ... Finished 12-8 in doubles, playing mostly at No. 1 with Nathan de Veer ... Duo peaked at No. 18 in the national rankings, going 6-6 on the year ... Played seven matches with Matias Hatem at No. 3 and posted a 6-1 record.

SPRING 2013:

Led team with a perfect 12-0 singles record while playing primarily at No. 4 ... Debuted with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over 29th-ranked SCAD Savannah’s Theo Gough at the fifth spot ... Won once at No. 2, beating Spartanburg Methodist’s Matthew Plummer in 6-0, 6-0 fashion ... Also won once at No. 3, five times at No. 4, and five more times between the fifth and sixth spots ... Recorded a perfect 12-mark at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles with partner Hernan Hatem.

PRIOR TO GGC: Member of the Australian schoolboy tennis team ... Ranked among the top 10 in Australia at the U18 level.

PERSONAL: Born Luke James Morland on November 8, 1993, in Gold

Coast, Australia ... Son of Mark and Janet Morland ... Sister, Amy, is a member of the GGC women’s soccer team.

Singles Position in Lineup Year Overall Fall Spring 1 2 3 4 5 6 2012-13 12-0 - 12-0 - 1-0 1-0 5-0 3-0 2-0 2013-14 3-0 - 3-0 - - - - 1-0 2-0 2014-15 7-3 2-2 5-1 - - - - - 5-1 2015-16 5-3 5-3 - - - - - - Total 27-6 7-5 20-1 - 1-0 1-0 5-0 4-0 9-1

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

Doubles Year Overall Fall Spring 2012-13 12-0 - 12-0 2013-14 12-8 - 12-8 2014-15 17-9 6-2 11-7 2015-16 - - - Total 41-17 6-2 35-15

Position in Lineup 1 2 3 - 9-0 3-0 4-6 1-1 7-1 4-5 1-1 6-1 - - 8-11 11-2 16-2

33


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS 2016 GRIZZLIES

Connor

CLEMENTS

Junior Charleston, S.C.

FALL 2015: Did not play due to injury. SPRING 2015: Second Team All-American ... Ended the season ranked No. 39 in singles by the ITA ... Posted a team-best 15-1 record, which included a perfect 12-0 mark at No. 4 ... Recorded clinching victory in three of four NAIA National Championship matches ... Also went 17-2 in doubles ... Peaked at No. 1 in the NAIA rankings with partner Jordan Cox, posting a 10-2 record ... Finished season with Matias Hatem, putting together a 7-0 mark to end with a No. 10 national ranking. FALL 2014: Posted 9-2 record in singles ... Closed out campaign on

five-match winning streak, lifting the singles crown at the Grizzly Open ... Beat nation’s second-ranked player in NCAA Division II in the tournament final, posting a 6-3, 6-3 victory ... Advanced to the quarterfinals at ITA South Regional, beating Loyola New Orleans’ Federico Mercado in the first round, William Carey’s Ricky Keppeler in the second and Belhaven’s Daniel Prado in the third ... Eliminated by Nicolas Pinones of Auburn-Montgomery ... Played two matches at the Southern Intercollegiate Championships, coming from behind to win 1-6, 6-2, 7-6 over Arkansas’ William Albanese ... Teamed with Lachlan McPhee to become the first regional doubles champions in GGC history, beating tandems from Belhaven, AUM and William Carey to earn a berth into the ITA National Small College Championships.

SPRING 2014: All-America Honorable Mention ... Compiled 12-4

singles record, playing primarily at No. 5 ... Debuted with a 7-6, 6-1 win over Dalton State’s Hadyn Fava at No. 5 ... Went 1-0 at No. 2, beating SCAD Savannah’s Theo Gough ... Posted 1-1 record at No. 3 with the lone win coming against Jabez Beazer ... Put together 3-0 record in the fourth spot, highlighted by a win over NCAA Division I opponent Alvaro Cintas of Tennessee Tech ... Finished 5-3 at line five, which included a 4-0 streak to end the season ... Beat Ibitoye Olonisaken of Fisk and Zahry Edmund of Our Lady of the Lake to help GGC to an unaffiliated/independent tournament crown ... Also won two matches at NAIA National Championships, beating Graceland’s Gustavo Yanez in 6-1, 6-3 fashion in the opener and Embry-Riddle’s Luke de Caires by a score of 6-2, 6-0 to help GGC lift the trophy ... Tied for a team-best 19-1 record in doubles, going a perfect 13-0 with partner Matias Hatem, including 12 matches at No. 3 ... Also went 6-1 with Bruno Tiberti at the second spot ... Finished year on 14-match winning streak in doubles.

PRIOR TO GGC: Ranked as one of the top 15 prep players in the United States ... Rated No. 1 in Georgia and the southern region at his age level.

PERSONAL: Born Connor Reuck Clements on September 17, 1993, in Lawrenceville, Ga. ... Son of Cameron and Jacque Clements.

Singles Position in Lineup Year Overall Fall Spring 1 2 3 4 5 6 2013-14 12-4 - 12-4 - 1-0 1-1 3-0 5-3 2-0 2014-15 24-3 9-2 15-1 - - 3-0 12-0 0-1 2015-16 - - - - - - - - Total 36-7 9-2 27-5 - 1-0 4-1 15-0 5-4 2-0

34

Doubles Year Overall Fall Spring 2013-14 19-1 - 19-1 2014-15 21-4 4-2 17-2 2015-16 - - - Total 40-5 4-2 36-3

Position in Lineup 1 2 3 - 7-1 12-0 4-0 11-2 2-0 - - 4-0 18-3 14-0

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS 2016 GRIZZLIES

Jordan

COX

Junior Sarasota, Fla.

FALL 2015: Ended season ranked No. 2 nationally in singles ... Posted

7-3 record ... Advanced to the round of 16 at the Southern Intercollegiate Championships at Georgia ... Also made it to the final of both the ITA regional championship and NAIA national championship, falling to teammate Kevin Konfederak in both events ... Ended ranked No. 1 in doubles with partner Konfederak ... Posted 8-2 record ... Won NAIA national championship as well as Small College Super Bowl to punch ticket to National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships, where the duo would fall in the quarterfinals.

SPRING 2015: First Team All-American ... Finished season ranked second nationally in singles ... Compiled 11-1 singles record with a 7-1 mark at No. 1 ... Finished season on six-match winning streak, beating two ranked DII opponents in No. 6 Thibaud Berland and No. 11 Alex Peyrot of second-ranked Hawaii Pacific and fourth-ranked West Florida, respectively ... Put together 16-3 doubles record, teaming primarily with Connor Clements and Kevin Konfederak ... Went 10-2 with Clements, peaking at No. 1 in the NAIA rankings ... Posted perfect 4-0 record with Konfederak at NAIA Championships, highlighted by a win over Embry-Riddle’s top-ranked duo in the championship match ... Ended season ranked sixth in the NAIA. FALL 2014: Finished season with 8-2 singles record ... Became

first-ever regional champion for GGC, beating Rene Ramos of Belhaven and Tushar Mandlekar of Xavier (La.) before dispatching teammates Lachlan McPhee and Matias Hatem in the tournament’s final two rounds to earn a berth into the ITA National Small College Championships ... Defeated both Westmont’s Luke Whalen and Olivet Nazarene’s Oscar Cornella in the first two rounds to advance to the final of the NAIA bracket, where he lost to defending champion Deni Zmak of Embry-Riddle ... Also played at Southern Intercollegiate Championships, making his Grizzly debut with a 7-5, 6-4 win over Arkansas’ Jovan Parlic ... Went 7-1 in doubles ... Teamed with Luke Morland to beat Division I opponents from Davidson and East Tennessee State at Southern Intercollegiates ... Compiled 5-0 record with Matias Hatem en route to claiming the doubles crown at the Grizzly Open, beating a Division I tandem from Alabama State in the first round and teammates and Morland and Lachlan McPhee in the tournament final.

PRIOR TO GGC: Put together a decorated juniors career, highlighted

by advancing to the final of the 2009 Wimbledon Junior Championships ... Also won the United States U-16 national title ... Trained at IMG Bolletieri Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Fla.

PERSONAL: Born Jordan M. Cox on January 7, 1992, in Miami, Fla. ... Son of Richard and Julie Cox ... Brother, Brad, was an All-American doubles player for the University of Kentucky.

Singles Position in Lineup Year Overall Fall Spring 1 2 3 4 5 6 2014-15 19-3 8-2 11-1 7-1 4-0 - - - 2015-16 7-3 7-3 - - - - - - Total 26-6 15-5 11-1 7-1 4-0 - - - -

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

Doubles Year Overall Fall Spring 2014-15 23-4 7-1 16-3 2015-16 8-2 8-2 - Total 31-6 15-3 16-3

Position in Lineup 1 2 3 10-0 6-3 - - 10-0 6-3 -

35


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS 2016 GRIZZLIES

Gilad

BERMAN

Sophomore Ramat Hasharon, Israel

FALL 2015: Posted 4-0 singles record at Grizzly Open ... Also went 5-0 in doubles with Luke Morland to lift the tournament crown.

PRIOR TO GGC: Attended the University of Nevada at Las Vegas ... Earned Mountain West Freshman of the Year after posting an 18-4 singles record with a 9-10 mark in doubles ... Helped the Rebels to a 17-7 record ... Attended Rothberg High School in Israel ... Was Israel’s top-ranked under-18 player ... Served three years in Israeli Air Force.

PERSONAL: Born Gilad Berman on Nov. 30, 1990, in Netanya, Israel ... Son of Moshe Berman.

Singles Position in Lineup Year Overall Fall Spring 1 2 3 4 5 6 2015-16 4-0 4-0 - - - - - - Total 4-0 4-0 - - - - - -

36

Doubles Year Overall Fall Spring 2015-16 5-0 5-0 - Total 5-0 5-0 -

Position in Lineup 1 2 3 - - - - -

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS 2016 GRIZZLIES

Kevin

KONFEDERAK

Sophomore Buenos Aires, Argentina

FALL 2015: Ended season as first-ever GGC men’s tennis player to

earn No. 1 ranking ... Lifted both NAIA national championship and Super Bowl championship ... Ended season with 15-3 record ... Started off by advancing to final of Southern Intercollegiate Championships at Georgia, knocking off ranked opponents from UGA, Barry, Virginia Tech and Arkansas in the process ... Won 10 straight matches to book trip to ITA Indoor Intercollegiate Championships ... Also teamed with Jordan Cox to earn No. 1 ranking in doubles with 8-2 record ... Earned NAIA and Super Bowl titles in the process ... Fell in the quarterfinals of the National Indoors.

SPRING 2015: First Team All-American ... Ended the season ranked No. 5 in singles by the ITA ... Named National Freshman of the Year ... Posted 11-2 record, going 3-2 at No. 1 and 8-0 at the second spot ... Went a team-best 18-1 in doubles ... Put up 6-1 mark with Jordan Cox en route to ending the season ranked sixth in the NAIA ... Finished year with victory over top-ranked duo from Embry-Riddle in national championship match ... Also posted 7-0 record with Matias Hatem and 5-0 record with Lachlan McPhee. PRIOR TO GGC: Ranked No. 17 by the ITF ... Maintained a No. 1

national ranking in Argentina at both the U14 and U16 levels ... Junior Davis Cup Finalist.

PERSONAL: Born Kevin Konfederak on July 26, 1991, in Buenos Aires, Argentina ... Son of Gabriel Konfederak and Sandra Smidt.

Singles Position in Lineup Year Overall Fall Spring 1 2 3 4 5 6 2014-15 11-2 - 11-2 3-2 8-0 - - - 2015-16 15-3 15-3 - - - - - - Total 26-5 15-3 11-2 3-2 8-0 - - - -

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

Doubles Year Overall Fall Spring 2014-15 18-1 - 18-1 2015-16 8-2 8-2 - Total 26-3 8-2 18-1

Position in Lineup 1 2 3 6-0 2-1 10-0 - - 6-0 2-1 10-0

37


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS 2016 GRIZZLIES

Lachlan

MCPHEE

Sophomore Brisbane, Australia

FALL 2015: Ranked 15th nationally in singles ... Posted 8-1 record

... Went 6-0 at Southern Intercollegiate Championships at Georgia to lift the second flight title ... Also hoisted regional crown in doubles with partner Lachlan McPhee and ended the year with a No. 3 national ranking ... Duo would post a 6-1 record for the season, falling to Konfederak and Jordan Cox in the NAIA national championship match.

SPRING 2015: All-America Honorable Mention ... Finished year with No. 40 national ranking ... Put together 14-1 singles record, including 4-0 mark at No. 4 and 8-1 at No. 5 ... Started off season with 10 consecutive victories ... Compiled 13-5 mark in doubles ... Teamed primarily with Luke Morland, going 8-5 ... Partnered with Kevin Konfederak to post a perfect 5-0 record. PRIOR TO GGC: Ranked in the top 10 at the U18 level in Australia. PERSONAL: Born Lachlan Ryan McPhee on May 12, 1996, in Brisbane, Australia ... Son of Peter and Glenis McPhee.

Singles Position in Lineup Year Overall Fall Spring 1 2 3 4 5 6 2014-15 23-4 9-3 14-1 - - - 4-0 8-1 2-0 2015-16 8-1 8-1 - - - - - - Total 31-5 17-4 14-1 - - - 4-0 8-1 2-0

38

Doubles Year Overall Fall Spring 2014-15 21-8 8-3 13-5 2015-16 6-1 6-1 - Total 27-9 14-4 13-5

Position in Lineup 1 2 3 1-3 1-1 11-1 - - 1-3 1-1 11-1

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS 2016 GRIZZLIES

Jorge

GONZALEZ

Freshman Guadalajara, Mexico

PRIOR TO GGC: Attended Colegio de Bachilleres del Estado de Jalisco ... Ranked among the top 10 under-18 players in Mexico.

PERSONAL: Born Jorge Enrique Gonzalez Aramburu on April 16, 1995

in Guadalajara, Mexico to Emma Aramburu and Jorge Enrique Gonzalez ... Has three younger siblings, Jimena, Alvaro and Mayte.

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

39


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS 2014-15 STATISTICS

2014-15 MEN’S TENNIS 2014-15 SCHEDULE SINGLES Overall Record: 16-2 | Home: 9-0 | Away: 3-1 | Neutral: 4-1

FALL 9.12-16 9.26-28 10.9-12 10.17-19

Southern Intercollegiates ITA Regional ITA Small College Championships Grizzly Open

SPRING

1.30 Point W, 9-0 1.31 (DI) The Citadel W, 9-0 2.1 Middle Georgia W, 9-0 2.4 (DII) No. 31 USC Aiken W, 8-1 2.6 (DII) No. 8 Lander W, 7-2 3.8 (DII) No. 3 Barry L, 3-6 3.10 (DII) No. 9 Lynn W, 5-2 3.11 (DII) No. 8 St. Leo W, 5-1 3.14 No. 24 Olivet Nazarene W, 6-0 3.15 No. 23 SCAD Savannah W, 9-0 3.17 Cumberlands W, 9-0 4.3 (DII) No. 1 Hawaii Pacific L, 3-5 4.4 (DII) No. 15 Valdosta State 2-0, Inc. 4.4 (DII) No. 2 West Florida W, 5-3 4.21 (DIII) No. 2 Emory W, 8-1 NAIA National Championships 5.13 No. 18 McPherson W, 5-0 5.14 No. 8 San Diego Christian W, 5-0 5.15 No. 4 Auburn-Montgomery W, 5-0 5.17 No. 1 Embry-Riddle W, 5-0

40

Name Connor Clements Jordan Cox Matias Hatem Kevin Konfederak Tony Licata Lachlan McPhee Luke Morland TOTAL

Overall 24-3 19-3 14-3 11-2 9-6 23-4 7-3 107-24

Dual Tourn. 15-1 9-1 11-1 8-2 9-1 5-2 11-2 -6-4 3-2 14-1 9-3 5-1 2-2 71-11 36-13

1 -7-1 -3-2 ---10-3

2 -4-0 -8-0 ---12-0

3 3-0 -8-1 ----11-1

Dual Tourn. 17-2 4-2 16-3 7-1 17-2 5-1 18-1 --0-1 13-5 8-3 11-7 6-2 46-10 15-5

1 4-0 10-0 3-2 6-0 -1-3 4-5 14-5

2 11-2 6-3 7-0 2-1 -1-1 1-1 14-4

3 2-0 -7-0 10-0 -11-1 6-1 18-1

4 12-0 -1-0 --4-0 -17-0

5 0-1 ---4-1 8-1 -12-3

6 ----2-3 2-0 5-1 9-4

DOUBLES Name Connor Clements Jordan Cox Matias Hatem Kevin Konfederak Tony Licata Lachlan McPhee Luke Morland TOTAL

Overall 21-4 23-4 22-3 18-1 0-1 21-8 17-9 61-15

DOUBLES TEAMS Name Overall Dual Tourn. Jordan Cox/Luke Morland 2-0 -2-1 Connor Clements/Matias Hatem 7-1 7-0 0-1 Tony Licata/Lachlan McPhee 0-1 -0-1 Connor Clements/Lachlan McPhee 4-1 -4-1 Jordan Cox/Matias Hatem 5-0 -5-0 Lachlan McPhee/Luke Morland 12-6 8-5 4-1 Connor Clements/Jordan Cox 10-2 10-2 -Matias Hatem/Kevin Konfederak 7-0 7-0 -Matias Hatem/Luke Morland 3-2 3-2 -Jordan Cox/Kevin Konfederak 6-1 6-1 -Kevin Konfederak/Lachlan McPhee 5-0 5-0 -TOTAL 61-15 46-10 15-5

1 -----1-3 4-0 -3-2 6-0 -14-5

2 -5-0 ---1-1 6-2 2-0 -0-1 -14-4

3 -2-0 ---6-1 -5-0 --5-0 18-1

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS 2014-15 REVIEW

Men’s Tennis Exhibits Dominance with Another Championship Season June 12, 2015 Dominance. There’s really no better way to describe the 2015 season for the Georgia Gwinnett men’s tennis team as the Grizzlies coasted through the NAIA Championships in May to hoist the national championship trophy for the second consecutive season. In a year that was highlighted by both individual and team brilliance, nothing exhibited both better than the run in Mobile, which consisted of one of the strongest team displays in the history of the event. GGC, which ultimately ended the year with a 16-2 record, proved unbeatable for the likes of the NAIA as the team compiled a perfect 9-0 record against NAIA opponents, blanking each one, including four 5-0 victories at the national tournament. The biggest reason for the one-sided showings rested on what was unquestionably the strongest line-up in the country as five players owned ITA national rankings for almost the entire season, a feat unmatched by any four-year school in its respective division over the past two seasons. Chief among those highly-ranked Grizzlies was the trio of All-Americans Jordan Cox, Kevin Konfederak and Matias Hatem, who finished the season ranked second, fifth and sixth, respectively, in the country. Cox and Konfederak, both newcomers to the GGC side, combined for a 22-3 record in singles, but they proved just as tough a combination in doubles when they combined to go 4-0 at the national tournament, including a victory over the top-ranked Embry-Riddle duo of Deni Zmak and Jaime Sanchez Canamares-Rios in the championship match. Hatem, who suffered his first-ever dual singles defeat over the course of the year, finished with a 9-1 record for the season on the way to becoming the first Grizzly men’s tennis player and just the third GGC athlete overall to be named to the All-America First Team in back-toback seasons. Not to be outdone, Connor Clements, who ended the year with a No. 39 ranking, led the team with a 15-1 record in singles play, highlighted by three consecutive clinching victories at the national tournament to send the Green and Gray into the title match. Lachlan McPhee checked in one spot later on the rankings with a 14-1 showing for the spring, and the duo of Tony Licata and Luke Morland ended the year with a combined 11-5 record while playing primarily at No. 6 singles. GGC’s season, which was beset by bad weather throughout, began in the last weekend of January as the team bookended a 9-0 victory over NCAA Division I foe Citadel with wins by the same score over Point and Middle Georgia. The first real tests of the season would come less than a week later as GGC played host to Division II opponents in USC Aiken and eighth-ranked Lander, who nearly derailed the Grizzlies’ perfect season in 2014. Neither team proved difficult for the Green and Gray this time around as they dealt the visitors an 8-1 and 7-2 loss. An unfortunate run of cancellations and rainouts would follow the first five matches of the season as GGC wouldn’t return to the court for over a month, beginning on March 8 with a swing through Florida to take on three top 10 teams from DII. It was an inauspicious beginning to the trip at then-No. 3 and eventual national champion Barry, which handed the Grizzlies their first loss since 2013 in 6-3 fashion. However, GGC would bounce back to close out the road trip with 5-2 and 5-1 victories over ninth-ranked Lynn and eighth-ranked St. Leo. Three more NAIA matches awaited the Grizzlies when they returned home as they made short work of No. 24 Olivet Nazarene, No. 23 SCAD Savannah and Cumberlands before once again taking an extended break before a trip to Florida. This time, GGC was headed to the home turf of defending DII champion West Florida, but before taking on the second-ranked Argonauts, they first had to face Hawaii-Pacific. It was another long battle with the Sharks, who ultimately finished as the DII national runner-up, but the close matches went the way of HPU, which picked up the 5-3 victory. The Grizzlies once again answered emphatically with a 5-3 decision over UWF, which stands as one of the most impressive victories by any team in school history. An 8-1 decision over DIII No. 2 Emory closed out the regular season for GGC as they began preparations for the repeat bid in Mobile. Entering as the favorite after playing one of the toughest schedules in the nation, GGC was hardly challenged in the event, beginning with wins over 18th-ranked McPherson and eighth-ranked San Diego Christian in matches that clocked in at under two hours. Fourth-ranked Auburn-Montgomery offered the stiffest test in singles for GGC, but after going down 3-0 in doubles, time would run out on the Warhawks before they could register a point. More than a day of inclement weather just proved to be a delay of the inevitable as the same would hold true of Embry-Riddle, and GGC became just the second team in NAIA history to put together a perfect singles and doubles record at the national tournament. With the entire team set to return to Lawrenceville, GGC will undoubtedly be aiming to keep its name etched on the NAIA trophy as the Grizzlies move into 2016.

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

41


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS

Grizzly

HISTORY 42

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS FIRST NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP MAY 17, 2014 - MOBILE, AL

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

43


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS 2014 May 14 May 15 May 15 May 16 May 17

National

Round of 32 Round of 16 Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals

Bye as overall No. 3 seed vs. No. 14 Graceland (Iowa)................................... W, 5-1 vs. No. 6 Cumberland (Tenn.)................................. W, 5-2 vs. No. 2 Auburn-Montgomery (Ala.).................... W, 5-1 vs. No. 1 Embry-Riddle (Fla.).................................. W, 5-1

TITLES 2014 NAIA Men’s Tennis National Championship First Round May 13

Second Round May 15

Quarterfinals May 15

Final Site:

Semifinals May 16

Mobile Tennis Center Mobile, Ala. May 13-17

Championship May 17

1 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) 5

Coastal Georgia 5 Tuesday, 1:30 p.m.

Thursday, 8:30 a.m.

1 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) 5

Coastal Georgia 2

Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) 4 Thursday, 5 p.m.

Hastings (Neb.) 1 Tuesday, 1:30 p.m.

1 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) 5

Xavier (La.) 5

Xavier (La.) 8 Thursday, 8:30 a.m.

Xavier (La.) 0

8 Belhaven (Miss.) 4

Friday, 1 p.m.

1 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) 1

5 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 5

IU Southeast (Ind.) 0 Tuesday, 1:30 p.m.

Thursday, 8:30 a.m.

5 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 4

Northwestern Ohio 1

Northwestern Ohio 9 Thursday, 5 p.m.

SCAD Atlanta (Ga.) 7 Tuesday, 1:30 p.m.

4 Vanguard (Calif.) 1

SCAD Atlanta (Ga.) 0

William Carey (Miss.) 2 Thursday, 8:30 a.m.

4 Vanguard (Calif.) 5

4 Vanguard (Calif.) 5 3 Georgia Gwinnett Saturday, 1 p.m. 3 Georgia Gwinnett 5

Bethel (Tenn.) 0 Tuesday, 1:30 p.m.

Thursday, 8:30 a.m.

3 Georgia Gwinnett 5

Graceland (Iowa) 1

Graceland (Iowa) 9 Thursday, 5 p.m.

Concordia (Calif.) 8 Tuesday, 1:30 p.m.

3 Georgia Gwinnett 5

Concordia (Calif.) 3

Mobile (Ala.) 1 Thursday, 8:30 a.m.

6 Cumberland (Tenn.) 2

6 Cumberland (Tenn.) 5 Friday, 1 p.m.

3 Georgia Gwinnett 5

7 Westmont (Calif.) 3

Bethany (Kan.) 8 Tuesday, 1:30 p.m.

Thursday, 8:30 a.m.

Bethany (Kan.) 2

Bethany (Kan.) 5

Marian (Ind.) 1 Thursday, 5 p.m.

Aquinas (Mich.) 6 Tuesday, 1:30 p.m.

2 Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) 1

Aquinas (Mich.) 1

Webber International (Fla.) 3 Thursday, 8:30 a.m.

2 Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) 5

2 Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) 5

All times CDT.

44

Ward-Ballinger Most Outstanding Player Mark Verryth

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS

CHAMPS! Men’s Tennis Delivers National Championship, Unbeaten Season May 17, 2014 Mobile, Ala. - The Georgia Gwinnett men’s and women’s tennis teams captured the first two national championship titles in Georgia Gwinnett College history on Saturday, each winning 2014 NAIA Tennis National Championships over Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Fla.) at the Mobile Tennis Center in Mobile, Ala. First, the Georgia Gwinnett women outlasted the Eagles, 5-4, before the GGC men capped an unbeaten season with a 5-1 victory over the defending champion Eagles. For his success, GGC head coach Chase Hodges was named both the Men’s and Women’s 2014 NAIA Coach of the Year. The championships come in GGC’s very first season of postseason eligibility. “I’m just ecstatic,” said Hodges. “This is hard to even put it in perspective right now. It’s an amazing feeling. I have a great group of players who have been a joy to coach. We just compete out there and if you’re playing the Georgia Gwinnett Grizzlies, you’re in for a dogfight. Nobody backs down and it’s a pleasure to represent our college. “Today, we just did what we’ve been doing all season and that’s win matches,” Hodges added. “All I can think about is enjoying this for another 364 days.” The Grizzlies become just the second program to ever capture men’s and women’s tennis national championships in the same season. The Georgia Gwinnett men dominated the defending national champion Eagles from the start to complete a perfect 21-0 season and earn the program’s first national title. The third-seeded Grizzlies knocked off each of the two teams ranked ahead of them in the Men’s Tennis Coaches’ Top 25 Poll in second-seeded Auburn Montgomery and top-seeded ERAU (21-4) to win the title over the final two days. Senior Bruno Tiberti clinched the championship Saturday with his 6-1, 7-5 victory over Jaime Sanchez-Canamares Rios at second singles. The Grizzlies took a 2-1 lead following doubles action, winning on courts two and three. After ERAU briefly went up 1-0 with a win at first doubles, Connor Clements and Matias Hatem rolled to an 8-2 victory at third doubles to level the match. Then, Tiberti and Mark Verryth won 8-3 over Rios and Patrick Besch on court number two to give the Grizzlies the advantage going into singles play. Georgia Gwinnett stepped on the gas in singles action, winning the first set in all six singles matches on the court. The first to finish was Clements, who defeated Luke de Caires at fifth singles, 6-2, 6-0, as GGC went ahead overall, 3-1. Hatem rolled to a 6-1, 6-4 victory on court number three to give the Grizzlies a 4-1 advantage. That left four Grizzlies competing in a race to the finish, with one court eventually setting off the championship celebration. While the matches on the first and fourth courts went to a third set, Luke Morland earned a 5-3 lead in his second set on court six. Simultaneously, Tiberti had rallied from a 5-3 hole in his second set to take a 6-5 advantage. Tiberti pressed on in the deciding game, and when Rios’ final shot went long and wide signaling the championship had been won, Grizzlies from four different courts at the Mobile Tennis Center stormed upon Tiberti to celebrate the men’s program’s first national title. Verryth was named the 2014 Ward-Ballinger Most Outstanding Player for his success in the tournament, while Hatem finishes the year 17-0 in singles play.

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

45


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS 2015 May 12 May 13 May 14 May 15 May 17

National

Round of 32 Round of 16 Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals

Bye as overall No. 1 seed vs. No. 18 McPherson (Kan.).................................. W, 5-0 vs. No. 8 San Diego Christian (Calif.)..................... W, 5-0 vs. No. 4 Auburn-Montgomery (Ala.).................... W, 5-0 vs. No. 2 Embry-Riddle (Fla.).................................. W, 5-0

TITLES 2015 NAIA Men’s Tennis National Championship First Round

Second Round

May 12

Quarterfinals

May 13

May 14

Final Site:

Semifinals

Mobile Tennis Center Mobile, Ala. May 12-16

Championship

May 15

May 16

1 Georgia Gwinnett (12-2) 5 Wednesday, 9 a.m.

16 Graceland (Iowa) (12-4) 4

1 Georgia Gwinnett (13-2) 5

17 McPherson (Kan.) (17-6) 0

Tuesday, 8:30 a.m.

17 McPherson (Kan.) (16-5) 5 Thursday, 9 a.m.

9 William Carey (Miss.) (13-6) 9

1 Georgia Gwinnett (14-2) 5

9 William Carey (Miss.) (14-7) 4

Tuesday, 8:30 a.m.

24 Hastings (Neb.) (18-11) 0

Wednesday, 9 a.m.

8 San Diego Christian (Calif.) (15-8) 0

8 San Diego Christian (Calif.) (14-7) 5 Friday, 9 a.m.

1 Georgia Gwinnett (15-2) 5

5 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) (15-7) 5 Wednesday, 9 a.m.

12 Northwood (Fla.) (10-2) 7

5 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) (16-8) 4

12 Northwood (Fla.) (11-3) 0

Tuesday, 8:30 a.m.

21 Indiana Wesleyan (18-7) 2 Thursday, 9 a.m.

13 Westmont (Calif.) (10-15) 4 Tuesday, 8:30 a.m.

20 Reinhardt (Ga.) (11-3) 5

20 Reinhardt (Ga.) (12-4) 1 Wednesday, 9 a.m.

4 Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) (21-5) 0

4 Auburn Montgomery (Ala (20-4) 5

4 Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) (19-4) 5 1 Georgia Gwinnett (16-2) Sunday, 9:30 a.m.

3 Vanguard (Calif.) (25-1) 5 Wednesday, 9 a.m.

14 Bethany (Kan.) (11-1) 6 Tuesday, 8:30 a.m.

3 Vanguard (Calif.) (26-1) 5

14 Bethany (Kan.) (12-2) 0

19 Cardinal Stritch (Wis.) (20-8) 3 Thursday, 9 a.m.

11 Coastal Georgia (11-7) 5 Tuesday, 8:30 a.m.

3 Vanguard (Calif.) (27-2) 0

11 Coastal Georgia (12-8) 0

22 Asbury (Ky.) (15-3) 4 Wednesday, 9 a.m.

6 Xavier (La.) (13-8) 4

6 Xavier (La.) (12-7) 5 Friday, 9 a.m.

2 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) (21-4) 0

7 Northwestern Ohio (18-5) 5 10 Concordia (Calif.) (12-9) 7 Tuesday, 8:30 a.m.

23 Mobile (Ala.) (9-10) 2

Wednesday, 9 a.m.

10 Concordia (Calif.) (13-10) 3 Thursday, 9 a.m.

15 Dalton State (Ga.) (11-7) 8 Tuesday, 8:30 a.m.

18 Oklahoma Baptist (10-8) 1

7 Northwestern Ohio (19-6) 1

2 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) (20-3) 5

15 Dalton State (Ga.) (12-8) 1 Wednesday, 9 a.m.

2 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) (19-3) 5

2 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) (18-3) 5 All times CDT.

46

Ward-Ballinger Most Outstanding Player Jordan Cox

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS

Men’s Tennis Cruises to Second Consecutive National Championship May 17, 2015 Mobile, Ala. - The Georgia Gwinnett men’s tennis team spent the entire regular season as the undisputed No. 1 team in the country, and the Grizzlies will end the season that way too as they beat Embry-Riddle 5-0 to win a second consecutive NAIA National Championship at Mobile Tennis Center on Sunday. “The men dominated from start to finish this week,” GGC Head Coach Chase Hodges said. “We were the best team here, and we really proved it. I’m really proud of the guys, and I have an extreme amount of confidence in their abilities. It’s hard to win when you have a target on your back all season, but the guys did it. They really stepped up this whole year.” The match came after more than a day of delays, but it didn’t seem to faze the Grizzlies, who won all four matches in the national championship by a 5-0 scoreline. The team is just the second-ever to make it through the entire national tournament without surrendering an individual match, joining the 2006 team from Auburn-Montgomery. GGC is also the first to win back-to-back crowns since AUM won three in a row from 2006-08. Once again, the Grizzlies established their dominance in the early goings as they racked up three victories in doubles. The Australian tandem of Lachlan McPhee and Luke Morland got it started with an 8-2 win over Rodolfo Arreygue and Miguel Lopez Gomez. Jordan Cox and Kevin Konfederak kept the momentum rolling by unseating the fourth-ranked duo of Deni Zmak and Jaime Sanchez-Canamares Rios in 8-6 fashion. Matias Hatem and Connor Clements closed out the round with an 8-4 victory over Fabian Zierlyn and Carlos Becke. “I’m really proud of how we played in doubles,” Hodges said. “We changed the teams around late in the season, and despite them not playing that much with each other, we felt good about it. Those three combinations can take on anybody in the country, and you can just look at their results this week to see that.” In singles, GGC won the opening set on four of six courts, but it was Clements who picked up the first victory, beating Becke 6-2, 6-2 at No. 4 to put the Green and Gray a point away. Hatem, who was playing right next to him at No. 3, sealed the deal with a 6-1, 6-3 decision against Zierlyn. “That was an unforgettable moment for me,” Hatem said. “I was trying not to think about what was going on with the other courts, and I just wanted to get the point. I knew that I wasn’t playing my best tennis before today, but I was going to come out and do whatever I could to get the win for the team today.” Clements finished the tournament as the only Grizzly to register a singles win in all four matches, including the clinching victory in each of the first three. “Connor just does not lose here,” Hodges said. “When we come down to Mobile, he is a beast. He played on another level this whole week. He’s brought his A-game every time we’ve played here, and I’m really proud of him. He’s a great player.” GGC, which now owns an 8-0 all-time record in NAIA Championship matches, finishes its second year of postseason eligibility with a 16-2 record and a 9-0 mark against NAIA competition, blanking all nine.

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

47


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS 2015

Individual National

TITLES

Kevin Konfederak - NAIA Men’s Singles Champion USTA/ITA South Region NAIA Championships - New Orleans, La. Sep. 25 Round of 32 Def. Zach Sheeler (Point).......................................... 6-0, 6-0 Sep. 25 Round of 16 Def. Jeremiah Capdeville (Xavier La.)...................... 6-0, 6-1 Sep. 26 Quarterfinals Def. Luke Morland (GGC).......................................... 6-0, 6-0 Sep. 26 Semifinals Def. Matias Hatem (GGC).......................................... 6-1, 6-0 Sep. 30 Finals *Def. Jordan Cox (GGC)......................................6-3, 4-6, 6-3 *Final match played at GGC Tennis Facility USTA/ITA Small College Championships - Sumter, S.C Oct. 15 Quarterfinals Def. Spartak Rahachou (Baker)................................ 6-0, 6-2 Oct. 16 Semifinals Def. David Veliz (Southeastern)............................... 6-1, 6-1 Oct. 17 NAIA Finals Def. Jordan Cox (GGC)........................................6-4, 6-7, 6-4 --Oct. 17 Super Bowl Semis Def. Ferran Calvo (Tyler)....................................6-3, 4-6, 6-3 Oct. 18 Super Bowl Finals Def. Jan Meyer (Azusa Pacific).................................. 6-2, 6-2 USA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships Billie Jean King National Tennis Center - New York, N.Y. Nov. 12 Round of Lost to Hugo di Feo (Ohio State).......................6-4, 6-7, 6-3 Nov. 13 Consolation Lost to Diego Hidalgo (Florida).........................6-3, 6-7, 6-2

Kevin Konfederak Sophomore Buenos Aires, Argentina

Konfederak Wins GGC’s First-Ever Singles National Championship October 17, 2015 Sumter, S.C. - After winning a national championship in doubles a day ago, Kevin Konfederak earned another in singles and Valeria Podda would do the same as play continued for the Georgia Gwinnett men’s and women’s tennis teams on Saturday at the USTA/ITA National Small College Championships at Palmetto Tennis Center. “This was another phenomenal day for us,” GGC head coach Chase Hodges said. “We’re going to be going back to Lawrenceville with three national titles. Going back to when we started this program in 2012, today would really have to rank up there with the best of them. It was that good of a day for us, and everyone has been performing at an extremely high level all week.” Konfederak, who teamed up with Jordan Cox to win the NAIA doubles championship on Friday, was matched up against him for the singles title, and the duo engaged in a battle for the ages. Unfortunately for Cox, he would be the one that had to lose, falling in 6-4, 6-7, 6-4 fashion as Konfederak lifted the first GGC men’s singles national championship in school history. “I’ve been coaching since 1998, and I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a better college tennis match than the one that Jordan and Kevin played today,” Hodges said. “It’s a shame that one of them had to lose, and it really could have gone either way. Everyone from the whole tournament was watching that match, and it may have been the highlight of the week. They both went after it and battled for over three hours, and you could see how much both wanted to win that national title.” The day was a continuation of a spectacular fall campaign for Konfederak, which has included a berth into the final of the Southern Intercollegiate Championships at the University of Georgia as well as a title at the USTA/ITA South Region Championships. The Buenos Aires, Argentina, native was presented with the ITA’s James O’Hara Sportsmanship award following the NAIA final. Konfederak’s run at the Small College Championships on Saturday wasn’t done, however, as he still had two matches to play in the Small College Super Bowl, which represents the final obstacle for a player before the USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships, which will take place in Flushing Meadows, N.Y., next month. Konfederak started off Super Bowl play with another three-hour singles match, upending junior college national champion Ferran Calvo of Tyler Junior College by a score of 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 to advance to the championship match. Sunday’s final will see him take on NCAA Division II champion Jan Meyer of Azusa Pacific. In doubles, Konfederak and Cox earned a 7-6, 6-2 victory over the Seminole State tandem of Guy Iradukunda and Ishmael Mzai to advance to Sunday’s final against Concordia (N.Y.)’s Ofir Ginat and Jui Mao. “After Kevin won the NAIA title, Jordan was right there beside him and supporting him for the other singles match,” Hodges said. “It’s great to have guys like that on the team, and he really gets it and helped Kevin keep it going. Then when it turned over to doubles, he came out fresh and ready to go with a lot of energy.”

48

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS 2015

Individual National

TITLES

Kevin Konfederak & Jordan Cox - NAIA Men’s Doubles Champions USTA/ITA South Region NAIA Championships - New Orleans, La. Sep. 25 Round of 16 Bye Sep. 26 Quarterfinals Def. Austin Aten/Rafa Hewett (Point)............................. 8-4 Sep. 26 Semifinals Def. Tony Licata/Luke Morland (GGC)............................. 8-0 Sep. 29 Finals *Lost to Matias Hatem/Lachlan McPhee (GGC)....... 7-6, 7-6 *Played at Brenau University Indoor Courts due to inclement weather; earned wild card to next round as highest ranked finalist USTA/ITA Small College Championships - Sumter, S.C. Oct. 15 Quarterfinals Def. Kenta Naka/Daiki Naka..................................... 6-3, 6-0 Oct. 15 Semifinals Def. Daniel Rueda/Thommy Johansson.........6-3, 4-6, 10-7 Oct. 16 NAIA Finals Def. Matias Hatem/Lachlan McPhee (GGC)............. 6-3, 6-2 --Oct. 17 Super Bowl Semis Def. Guy Iradukunda/Ishmael Mzai (Seminole State).......... 7-6, 6-2 Oct. 18 Super Bowl Finals Def. Ofir Ginat/Jui Mao (Concordia)......................... 6-2, 6-4 USA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships Billie Jean King National Tennis Center - New York, N.Y. Nov. 12 Round of 32 Bye Nov. 12 Round of 16 Def. Aziz Kijametovic/Adam Moundir (Old Dominion)........ 6-3, 6-4 Nov. 13 Quarterfinals Lost to Brett Clark/Robert Kelly (North Carolina)......6-7, 6-3, 10-8

Jordan Cox Junior Sarasota, Fla.

Kevin Konfederak Sophomore Buenos Aires, Argentina

Grizzlies Lift NAIA Doubles Crown at Small College Championships October 16, 2015 Sumter, S.C. - In a day that won’t soon be forgotten in Georgia Gwinnett tennis history, Jordan Cox and Kevin Konfederak further added to their already extensive resumes as the duo combined to hoist the school’s first ever NAIA doubles national championship at the USTA/ITA National Small College Championships at Palmetto Tennis Center. Cox and Konfederak, who lost the regional doubles crown to teammates Lachlan McPhee and Matias Hatem, were able to avenge the earlier defeat in 6-3, 6-2 fashion to advance to the Small College Super Bowl, which will take place on Saturday and Sunday. “It’s great to bring another national championship back home to Lawrenceville,” GGC head coach Chase Hodges said. “We already had the team titles, and it’s nice to add more to that. Jordan and Kevin are deserving champions, and they played very well today. They’re not just satisfied with the NAIA championship though, they want to win the whole thing.” The Small College Super Bowl represents the final obstacle for the duo as they will be matched up against the champions of the NCAA Division II, Division III and junior college brackets. The winner of the event will move on to the USTA/ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships, which will take place in Flushing Meadows, N.Y., next month. Cox and Konfederak will begin play in the Super Bowl with a showdown against the Seminole State duo of Guy Iradukunda and Ishmael Mzai, who won the junior college crown. In the other Super Bowl match, DII champion Concordia (N.Y.) will face DIII champion Trinity.

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

49


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS

Southern

INTERCOLLEGIATES The Grizzlies are invited annually to compete at the Southern Intercollegiate Championships, one of the nation’s premier individual tournaments held each fall by the University of Georgia at the Dan Magill Tennis Center, which sits adjacent to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Hall of Fame. Georgia Gwinnett is the only NAIA program invited to compete, and is among just a handful of non-NCAA Divsion I programs to be included. The tournament field annually consists of the top players from institutions around the Southeast, including members of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), showcasing the talents of the GGC program on one of the brightest stages in the game.

50

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS

2013 The Grizzlies put Bruno Tiberti and Erik Moberg in the top-flight singles bracket, where the two combined for three singles wins before being knocked from the field by second- and sixth-ranked UGA players, respectively. Highlighting doubles action, Tony Kostadinov and Evgeny Silitski captured a pair of wins in the second-flight doubles bracket.

2014 The Grizzlies made noise, finishing with a head-turning nine victories over NCAA Division I opponents, including six over individuals or doubles teams from the Southeastern Conference or the Atlantic Coast Conference. Jordan Cox earned the No. 8 overall seed in the top-flight singles bracket and after a bye, defeated a player from Arkansas to reach the round of 16. He was then knocked off by UGA’s Paul Oosterbaan. Matias Hatem also appeared for GGC in the Division I singles bracket, and defeated a player from Virginia Tech in the opening round before bowing out to overall No. 3 Nathan Pasha of UGA.

Erik Moberg

Coach Hodges & Bruno Tiberti

Connor Clements reached the round of 16 in the Division II singles bracket, bouncing a player from Arkansas before falling in two close sets to an East Tennessee State player. Lachlan McPhee had success in the Division III singles field, reaching the semifinals by defeating players from Charlotte, Arkansas and Clemson in straight sets before being defeated by another Clemson Tiger in the final four. Luke Morland notched one victory at the top of the same bracket against a player from Vanderbilt. In doubles action, Cox and Morland made the most successful run from the No. 7 seed in the Division I draw. After a bye, the duo reached the quarterfinals by defeating tandems from Davidson and East Tennessee State before eventually falling to a team from Vanderbilt.

2015 Fall 2015 marked the best showing yet for the Grizzlies in Athens, as Kevin Konfederak raced all the way to the finals of the top-flight Division I singles tournament. Meanwhile, Lachlan McPhee captured the Grizzlies’ first-ever title in Athens by claiming the Division II singles title.

Kevin Konfederak

Konfederak, who began the tournament unseeded, started his run with a win over a player from Barry (Fla.). He then upset two seeded players, starting with No. 11 seed Nick Wood from host UGA, and then No. 4 seed Andreas Bjerrehus from Virginia Tech. On day three, Konfederak defeated Jose Salazar from Arkansas to reach the semifinals, where he outlasted host Georgia’s Paul Oosterbaan, 7-6(3), 4-6, 7-6(2) to make the Monday final in Athens. Awaiting in the championship match was tournament No. 1 overall seed Wayne Mongtomery from UGA. Konfederak would run out of gas in the finals, falling by a 6-4, 6-3 score for the runner-up finish. Jordan Cox also appeared in the Division I draw and played his way into the round of 16 by defeating a player from Lipscomb

and then No. 13 overall seed Ben Wagland from host UGA, 3-6, 7-6, 6-4. He then ran up against Georgia Tech standout Christopher Eubanks, the tournament No. 3 seed, eventual semifinalist and amateur who has played his way into ATP Tour events, falling 6-2, 6-4. An injury forced Matias Hatem, who dispatched No. 6 seed Giammarco Micolani from Arkansas, 6-2, 6-1 in the first round, out of the tournament in the third set of his second round match. McPhee’s dash to the Division II crown featured straight-sets victories in five of his six wins. After knocking off players from Lander, Barry and host UGA over the first two days, McPhee bounced a competitor from St. Leo and then Charlie Ghriskey from the College of Charleston, 6-3, 6-2, on Sunday to reach the Monday final. In the most competitive match of the run, McPhee battled to a 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(4) victory over Clemson’s Christian Harris. Elsewhere, Luke Morland made it to the quarterfinals of the Division III singles bracket with a pair of wins. With the focus on the singles success, the Grizzlies did not make any deep runs on the doubles side.

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

51


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS

2014

Conference

April 25 Quarterfinals vs. Fisk (Tenn.)........................................................ W, 9-0 April 25 Semifinals vs. Our Lady of the Lake (Texas)............................ W, 7-0 April 26 Finals at No. 10 Xavier (La.).............................................. W, 5-1

TITLES

Men’s Tennis Wins First-Ever Postseason Championship April 26, 2014 New Orleans, La. - The top-seeded Georgia Gwinnett men’s tennis team took down second-seeded Xavier (La.) by a 5-1 score to capture the Grizzlies’ first-ever postseason title at the 2014 Unaffiliated A.I.I./Gulf Coast/Red River/Sooner tennis tournament in New Orleans on Saturday. The final between the NAIA’s No. 3 and No. 10 teams was played on the Gold Rush’s home courts at the XU Tennis Center. The Grizzlies remain unbeaten at 17-0 on the season while Xavier dropped to 11-11. “It feels great to win the conference championship for Georgia Gwinnett,” said GGC head coach Chase Hodges. “It’s fantastic any time you can win one, but with it being the first for our sport, it’s a big deal.” The Grizzlies won two of three doubles points to build an early advantage. Bruno Tiberti and Mark Verryth teamed up for an 8-1 win at second doubles to get things going. After Luke Morland and Nathan de Veer were tripped at first doubles, 8-3, to tie the match, Connor Clements and Matias Hatem pulled out an 8-6 victory to regain the Grizzly advantage. In singles play, it was all Grizzlies as GGC won straight-sets decisions at second, third and fourth singles to clinch the match. Erik Moberg sailed, 6-1, 6-0 at number four, Tiberti earned a 6-1, 6-1 win at number two and Hatem won 6-1, 6-3 and number three to seal the victory. When the match halted, one set had been decided in each of the other three singles competitions. The Grizzlies earned the second postseason championship for Georgia Gwinnett College in the school’s first year of eligibility with Saturday’s win. “We are happy with our performance today, but we have our eyes set on Mobile,” Hodges added. “Our goal all year has been that national title in May.” The Grizzlies now wait for the bracket to be released for the 2014 NAIA National Championships, which will be played May 13-17 in Mobile, Ala.

Note: In 2015, no tournament was held, but as the highest-ranked independent team, the Grizzlies earned the automatic NAIA tournament berth.

52

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS PROGRAM HISTORY ALL-AMERICANS First Team

All-Time

AWARDS

Matias Hatem So. - San Miguel de Tucuman, Argentina 2014

Bruno Tiberti Sr. - Beunos Aires, Argentina 2014

Mark Verryth So. - Perth, Australia 2014

Jordan Cox So. - Sarasota, Fla. 2015

Matias Hatem Jr. - San Miguel de Tucuman, Argentina 2015

Kevin Konfederak Fr. - Buenos Aires, Australia 2015

Second Team

Erik Moberg So. - Stockholm, Sweden 2014

Connor Clements So. - Charleston, S.C. 2015

Honorable Mention

MATIAS HATEM BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

Connor Clements Fr. - Charleston, S.C. 2014

Tony Kostadinov So. - Sofia, Bulgaria 2014

Lachlan McPhee Fr. - Brisbane, Australia 2015

53


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS PROGRAM HISTORY

NAIA COACH OF THE YEAR

All-Time

AWARDS

2014......................................... Chase Hodges 2015......................................... Chase Hodges

WILSON/ITA COACH OF THE YEAR 2014......................................... Chase Hodges 2015......................................... Chase Hodges

DAKTRONICS-NAIA SCHOLAR-ATHLETE 2015 ........................................ Matias Hatem, Jr.

CHASE HODGES

54

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS PROGRAM HISTORY

A

Theo Arruda (Sao Paulo, Brazil)..................................................................2013

B

Peter Bodnar (Reading, Pa.).........................................................................2013 Shaine Brower (Denver, Colo.)....................................................................2013

C

Connor Clements (Charleston, S.C.)........................................................ 2014 Jordan Cox (Sarasota, Fla.)......................................................................... 2015-

D

Nathan de Veer (Badhoevedorp, Netherlands)....................................2014

H

All-Time

ROSTER

Taylor Hardy (Talladega, Ala.)......................................................................2013 Aaron Harris (Lawrenceville, Ga.)...............................................................2013 Hernan Hatem (San Miguel de Tucuman, Argentina)................. 2013-14 Matias Hatem (San Miguel de Tucuman, Argentina)........................ 2014-

K

Kevin Konfederak (Buenos Aires, Argentina)...................................... 2015 Tony Kostadinov (Sofia, Bulgaria)....................................................... 2013-14

L

Tony Licata (Buenos Aires, Argentina)................................................... 2015-

M

Lachlan McPhee (Brisbane, Australia).................................................... 2015 Erik Moberg (Stockholm, Sweden).................................................... 2013-14 Luke Morland (Gold Coast, Australia).................................................... 2013-

S

Evgeny Silitski (Minsk, Belarus)..................................................................2014

T

Bruno Tiberti (Buenos Aires, Argentina).................................................2014

V

Mark Verryth (Perth, Australia)...................................................................2014

HERNAN HATEM BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

55


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS PROGRAM HISTORY MATCHES PLAYED

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Matias Hatem Luke Morland Connor Clements Lachlan McPhee Jordan Cox

2013-14-................................. 92 2012-13-................................. 91 2013-14-................................. 88 2014-15-................................. 72 2014-15-................................. 69

SINGLES MATCHES PLAYED

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Connor Clements Matias Hatem Lachlan McPhee Luke Morland Jordan Cox

2013-14-................................. 43 2013-14-................................. 40 2014-15-................................. 36 2012-13-................................. 33 2014-15-................................. 32

DOUBLES MATCHES PLAYED

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Connor Clements Matias Hatem Lachlan McPhee Luke Morland Jordan Cox

Career

RECORDS

2013-14-................................. 45 2013-14-................................. 52 2014-15-................................. 36 2012-13-................................. 58 2014-15-................................. 37

DUAL MATCH SINGLES MATCHES PLAYED

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Connor Clements Matias Hatem Erik Moberg Tony Kostadinov Luke Morland

2013-14-................................. 32 2013-14-................................. 27 2012-13-2013-14......................... 25 2012-13-2013-14......................... 24 2012-13-................................. 21

DUAL MATCH DOUBLES MATCHES PLAYED 1. 2. 4.

Luke Morland Connor Clements Matias Hatem Three tied

2012-13-................................. 50 2013-14-................................. 39 2013-14-................................. 39 .......................................... 19

TOURNAMENT SINGLES MATCHES PLAYED

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Lachlan McPhee Jordan Cox Kevin Konfederak Matias Hatem Two tied

2014-15-................................. 21 2014-15-................................. 20 2014-15-................................. 18 2013-14-................................. 13 .......................................... 12

TOURNAMENT DOUBLES MATCHES PLAYED 1. 3. 4. 5.

Jordan Cox Lachlan McPhee Matias Hatem Kevin Konfederak Luke Morland

2014-15-................................. 18 2014-15-................................. 18 2013-14-................................. 13 2014-15-................................. 10 2012-13-.................................. 8

LUKE MORLAND

56

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS PROGRAM HISTORY WINS

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Matias Hatem Connor Clements Luke Morland Lachlan McPhee Jordan Cox

SINGLES WINS

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Connor Clements Matias Hatem Lachlan McPhee Erik Moberg Luke Morland

DOUBLES WINS

1. 2. 3. 4. 3.

Matias Hatem Luke Morland Connor Clements Jordan Cox Lachlan McPhee

2013-14-................................. 82 2013-14-................................. 76 2012-13-................................. 68 2014-15-................................. 58 2014-15-................................. 57

2013-14-................................. 36 2013-14-................................. 35 2014-15-................................. 31 2012-13-2013-14......................... 28 2012-13-................................. 27

Career

RECORDS

2013-14-................................. 47 2012-13-................................. 41 2013-14-................................. 40 2014-15-................................. 31 2014-15-................................. 27

DUAL MATCH SINGLES WINS

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Connor Clements Matias Hatem Erik Moberg Tony Kostadinov Luke Morland

2013-14-................................. 27 2013-14-................................. 26 2012-13-2013-14......................... 24 2012-13-2013-14......................... 23 2012-13-................................. 20

DUAL MATCH DOUBLES WINS 1. 3. 4. 5.

Connor Clements Matias Hatem Luke Morland Kevin Konfederak Jordan Cox

2013-14-................................. 36 2013-14-................................. 36 2012-13-................................. 35 2014-15-................................. 18 2014-15-................................. 16

TOURNAMENT SINGLES WINS

1. 2. 3. 4.

Lachlan McPhee Jordan Cox Kevin Konfederak Three tied

2014-15-................................. 17 2014-15-................................. 15 2014-15-................................. 15 ........................................... 9

TOURNAMENT DOUBLES WINS

1. 3. 4. 5.

Jordan Cox Lachlan McPhee Matias Hatem Kevin Konfederak Luke Morland

2014-15-................................. 15 2014-15-................................. 14 2013-14-................................. 11 2014-15-.................................. 8 2012-13-.................................. 6

TONY KOSTADINOV BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

57


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS PROGRAM HISTORY MATCHES PLAYED

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Lachlan McPhee Connor Clements Jordan Cox Bruno Tiberti Matias Hatem

2014-15.................................. 56 2014-15.................................. 52 2014-15.................................. 49 2013-14.................................. 48 2014-15.................................. 42

SINGLES MATCHES PLAYED 1. 4. 5.

Connor Clements Lachlan McPhee Bruno Tiberti Jordan Cox Erik Moberg

2014-15.................................. 27 2014-15.................................. 27 2013-14.................................. 27 2014-15.................................. 22 2013-14.................................. 20

DOUBLES MATCHES PLAYED 1. 2. 3. 4.

Lachlan McPhee Jordan Cox Luke Morland Connor Clements Matias Hatem

Season

RECORDS

2014-15.................................. 29 2014-15.................................. 27 2014-15.................................. 26 2014-15.................................. 25 2014-15.................................. 25

DUAL MATCH SINGLES MATCHES PLAYED 1. 2. 3. 5.

Bruno Tiberti Matias Hatem Connor Clements Connor Clements Lachlan McPhee

2013-14.................................. 21 2013-14.................................. 17 2013-14.................................. 16 2014-15.................................. 16 2014-15.................................. 15

DUAL MATCH DOUBLES MATCHES PLAYED 1. 5.

Connor Clements Matias Hatem Luke Morland Bruno Tiberti Four tied

2013-14.................................. 20 2013-14.................................. 20 2013-14.................................. 20 2014-15.................................. 20 .......................................... 19

TOURNAMENT SINGLES MATCHES PLAYED 1. 2. 3. 4.

Kevin Konfederak Lachlan McPhee Connor Clements Jordan Cox Jordan Cox

2015-16.................................. 18 2014-15.................................. 12 2014-15.................................. 11 2014-15.................................. 10 2015-16.................................. 10

TOURNAMENT DOUBLES MATCHES PLAYED 1. 2. 4.

Lachlan McPhee Jordan Cox Kevin Konfederak Jordan Cox Luke Morland

2014-15.................................. 11 2015-16.................................. 10 2015-16.................................. 10 2014-15................................... 8 2014-15................................... 8

CONNOR CLEMENTS

58

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS PROGRAM HISTORY WINS 1. 2. 3. 5.

Connor Clements Lachlan McPhee Bruno Tiberti Jordan Cox Matias Hatem Matias Hatem

SINGLES WINS 1. 2. 4. 5.

Connor Clements Lachlan McPhee Bruno Tiberti Jordan Cox Two tied

DOUBLES WINS

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Jordan Cox Matias Hatem Connor Clements Lachlan McPhee Bruno Tiberti

2014-15.................................. 45 2014-15.................................. 44 2013-14.................................. 42 2014-15.................................. 42 2013-14.................................. 36 2014-15.................................. 36

2014-15.................................. 24 2014-15.................................. 23 2013-14.................................. 23 2014-15.................................. 19 .......................................... 17

Season

RECORDS

2014-15.................................. 23 2014-15.................................. 22 2014-15.................................. 21 2014-15.................................. 21 2013-14.................................. 19

DUAL MATCH SINGLES WINS

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Bruno Tiberti Matias Hatem Connor Clements Lachlan McPhee Erik Moberg

2013-14.................................. 19 2013-14.................................. 17 2014-15.................................. 15 2014-15.................................. 14 2013-14.................................. 13

DUAL MATCH DOUBLES WINS 1. 3. 5.

Connor Clements Matias Hatem Bruno Tiberti Kevin Konfederak Two tied

2013-14.................................. 19 2013-14.................................. 19 2013-14.................................. 18 2014-15.................................. 18 .......................................... 17

TOURNAMENT SINGLES WINS 1. 2. 4.

Kevin Konfederak Connor Clements Lachlan McPhee Jordan Cox Lachlan McPhee

2015-16.................................. 15 2014-15................................... 9 2014-15................................... 9 2014-15................................... 8 2015-16................................... 8

TOURNAMENT DOUBLES WINS 1. 4. 5.

Lachlan McPhee Jordan Cox Kevin Konfederak Jordan Cox Three tied

2014-15................................... 8 2015-16................................... 8 2015-16................................... 8 2014-15................................... 7 ........................................... 6

BRUNO TIBERTI BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

59


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS PROGRAM HISTORY 2013

Inaugural Season Overall Record: 11-1 Home: 10-1 | Away: 1-0

All-Time

RESULTS

Feb. 1 (RV) SCAD Savannah (Ga.)............W, 7-2 Feb. 2 (DIII) Covenant (Ga.).....................W, 9-0 Feb. 15 at Emmanuel (Ga.)........................W, 9-0 Feb. 20 Spartanburg Methodist (S.C.).......W, 9-0 Feb. 23 (DII) Georgia Southwestern..........W, 7-2 March 6 (DII) Morehouse (Ga.)...................W, 9-0 March 8 SCAD Atlanta................................W, 9-0 March 9 (DIII) Rhodes (Tenn.).....................W, 7-2 March 26 Emmanuel (Ga.)...........................W, 9-0 March 28 Milligan (Tenn.)............................W, 8-1 April 5 (DII) No. 8 Columbus State (Ga.)....L, 3-6 April 9 (DII) No. 26 Young Harris (Ga.)......W, 6-3 Team ineligible for postseason play in first season

2014

Overall Record: 21-0 Home: 5-0 | Away: 9-0 | Neutral: 7-0

2015

Overall Record: 16-2 Home: 10-0 | Away: 3-1 | Neutral: 3-1

Jan. 30 Point (Ga.)....................................W, 9-0 Jan. 31 (DI) The Citadel (S.C.)....................W, 9-0 Feb. 1 Middle Georgia.............................W, 9-0 Feb. 4 (DII) (RV) USC-Aiken.....................W, 8-1 Feb. 6 (DII) No. 8 Lander (S.C.)................W, 7-2 March 8 at (DII) No. 3 Barry (Fla.)................L, 6-3 March 10 at (DII) No. 9 Lynn (Fla.)................W, 5-2 March 11 at (DII) No. 8 St. Leo (Fla.).............W, 5-3 March 14 No. 24 Olivet Nazarene (Ill.)..........W, 6-0 March 15 No. 23 SCAD Savannah (Ga.).........W, 9-0 March 17 Cumberlands (Ky.)........................W, 9-0 April 3 vs. (DII) No. 1 Hawaii-Pacific~.......L, 5-3 April 4 at (DII) No. 2 West Florida.............W, 5-3 April 21 (DIII) No. 2 Emory (Ga.).................W, 8-1 May 13 vs. No. 18 McPherson (Kan.)$.......W, 5-0 May 14 vs. No. 8 San Diego Christian (Calif.)$.W, 5-0 May 15 vs. No. 4 Auburn-Montgomery (Ala.)$.. W, 5-0 May 17 vs. No. 2 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) $......W, 5-0 ~ Pensacola, Fla. $ NAIA National Championships (Mobile, Ala.)

Feb. 5 Dalton State (Ga.).........................W, 9-0 Feb. 9 at (DII) No. 21 USC Aiken...............W, 9-0 Feb. 14 at No. 13 Belhaven (Miss.)............W, 6-0 Feb. 15 at No. 15 William Carey (Miss.).....W, 8-1 Feb. 16 vs. No. 6 Xavier (La.) ~..................W, 6-1 Feb. 20 at (DII) No. 7 Lander (S.C.)............W, 5-4 Feb. 26 Morehouse (Ga.)...........................W, 9-0 March 8 (DIII) No. 5 Kenyon (Ohio).............W, 5-4 March 10 Tennessee Tech.............................W, 6-1 March 12 at No. 25 Coastal Georgia..............W, 8-1 March 13 at (DII) No. 2 Armstrong State (Ga.).W, 6-3 March 15 at SCAD Savannah (Ga.)................W, 9-0 March 25 (DIII) No. 10 Middlebury (Vt.).......W, 7-2 April 3 at (DIII) No. 7 Emory (Ga.).............W, 8-1 April 25 vs. Fisk (Tenn.) #...........................W, 9-0 April 25 vs. Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) #.W, 7-0 April 26 at No. 10 Xavier (La.) #..................W, 5-1 May 15 vs. No. 14 Graceland (Iowa) $........W, 5-1 May 15 vs. No. 6 Cumberland (Tenn.) $.....W, 5-2 May 16 vs. No. 2 Auburn-Montgomery (Ala.) $..W, 5-1 May 17 vs. No. 1 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) $......W, 5-1 ~ Hattiesburg, Miss. # Unaffiliated/Independent Tournament (New Orleans, La.) $ NAIA National Championships (Mobile, Ala.)

OPENING DAY 2013

60

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS PROGRAM HISTORY ARMSTRONG STATE (GA) Overall Record: 1-0 Away: 1-0

DALTON STATE (GA)

Overall Record: 1-0 Home: 1-0

March 13, 2014 Away..............................W, 6-3

Feb. 5, 2014 Home..................................W, 9-0

AUBURN-MONTGOMERY (AL)

EMBRY-RIDDLE (FL)

May 16, 2014 Neutral..............................W, 5-1 May 15, 2015 Neutral..............................W, 5-0

May 17, 2014 Neutral..............................W, 5-1 May 17, 2015 Neutral..............................W, 5-0

BARRY (FL)

EMMANUEL (GA)

March 8, 2015 Away................................. L, 6-3

Feb. 15, 2013 Away.................................W, 9-0 March 26, 2013 Home.............................W, 9-0

Overall Record: 2-0 Neutral: 2-0

Overall Record: 0-1 Away: 0-1

BELHAVEN (MS)

Overall Record: 1-0 Away: 1-0

Feb. 14, 2014 Away.................................W, 6-0

COASTAL GEORGIA

Overall Record: 1-0 Away: 1-0

Overall Record: 2-0 Neutral: 2-0

Overall Record: 1-1 Home: 1-0 | Away: 1-0

Overall Record: 0-1 Home: 0-1

April 5, 2013 Home.................................. L, 6-3

COVENANT (GA)

Overall Record: 1-0 Home: 1-0

Overall Record: 2-0 Home: 1-0 | Away: 1-0

April 3, 2014 Away..................................W, 8-1 April 21, 2015 Home...............................W, 8-1

FISK (TN)

Overall Record: 1-0 Neutral: 1-0

GA. SOUTHWESTERN

Overall Record: 1-0 Home: 1-0

Feb. 23, 2013 Home................................W, 7-2

GRACELAND (IA)

Overall Record: 1-0 Neutral: 1-0

May 15, 2014 Neutral..............................W, 5-1

HAWAII-PACIFIC

Overall Record: 0-1 Neutral: 0-1

May 15, 2014 Neutral..............................W, 5-2

CUMBERLANDS (KY)

Overall Record: 1-0 Home: 1-0

Overall Record: 1-0 Neutral: 1-0

April 25, 2014 Neutral.............................W, 9-0

Feb. 2, 2013 Home..................................W, 9-0

CUMBERLAND (TN)

SERIES

EMORY (GA)

March 12, 2014 Away..............................W, 8-1

COLUMBUS STATE (GA)

All-Time

April 3, 2015 Neutral................................ L, 5-3

KENYON (OH)

March 17, 2015 Home.............................W, 9-0

Overall Record: 1-0 Home: 1-0

March 8, 2014 Home...............................W, 5-4

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

MARK VERRYTH

61


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS PROGRAM HISTORY LANDER (SC)

POINT (GA)

Feb. 20, 2014 Away.................................W, 5-4 Feb. 6, 2015 Home..................................W, 7-2

Jan. 30, 2015 Home................................W, 9-0

Overall Record: 2-0 Home: 1-0 | Away: 1-0

All-Time

SERIES

LYNN (FL)

RHODES (TN)

Overall Record: 1-0 Home: 1-0

Overall Record: 1-0 Away: 1-0

March 10, 2015 Away..............................W, 5-2

Overall Record: 1-0 Neutral: 1-0

May 14, 2015 Neutral..............................W, 5-0

SCAD ATLANTA

MIDDLE GEORGIA

Overall Record: 1-0 Home: 1-0

Overall Record: 1-0 Home: 1-0

Feb. 1, 2015 Home..................................W, 9-0

March 8, 2013 Home...............................W, 9-0

MIDDLEBURY (VT)

SCAD SAVANNAH

March 25, 2014 Home.............................W, 7-2

Feb. 1, 2013 Home..................................W, 7-2 March 15, 2014 Away..............................W, 9-0 March 15, 2015 Home.............................W, 9-0

Overall Record: 3-0 Home: 2-0 | Away: 1-0

Overall Record: 1-0 Home: 1-0

MILLIGAN (TN)

Overall Record: 1-0 Home: 1-0

March 28, 2013 Home.............................W, 8-1

Overall Record: 2-0 Home: 2-0

March 6, 2013 Home...............................W, 9-0 Feb. 26, 2014 Home................................W, 9-0

SPARTANBURG METHODIST (SC)

Overall Record: 1-0 Home: 1-0

Feb. 20, 2013 Home................................W, 9-0

OLIVET NAZARENE (IL) Overall Record: 1-0 Home: 1-0

ST. LEO (FL)

March 14, 2015 Home.............................W, 6-0

OUR LADY OF THE LAKE (TX) Overall Record: 1-0 Neutral: 1-0

SOUTH CAROLINA-AIKEN Overall Record: 2-0 Home: 1-0 | Away: 1-0

Feb. 9, 2014 Away...................................W, 9-0 Feb. 4, 2015 Home..................................W, 8-1

MOREHOUSE (GA)

Overall Record: 1-0 Away: 1-0

March 11, 2015 Away..............................W, 5-3

TENNESSEE TECH

April 25, 2014 Neutral.............................W, 7-0

62

March 9, 2013 Home...............................W, 7-2

SAN DIEGO CHRISTIAN (CA) Overall Record: 1-0 Neutral: 1-0

MCPHERSON (KS)

May 13, 2015 Neutral..............................W, 5-0

KEVIN KONFEDERAK

Overall Record: 1-0 Home: 1-0

Overall Record: 1-0 Home: 1-0

March 10, 2014 Home.............................W, 6-1

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS THE CITADEL (SC)

Overall Record: 1-0 Home: 1-0

Jan. 31, 2015 Home................................W, 9-0

WEST FLORIDA (FL)

Overall Record: 1-0 Away: 1-0

April 4, 2015 Away..................................W, 5-3

WILLIAM CAREY (MS)

Overall Record: 1-0 Away: 1-0

All-Time

SERIES

Feb. 15, 2014 Away.................................W, 8-1

XAVIER (LA)

Overall Record: 2-0 Neutral: 1-0 | Away: 1-0

Feb. 16, 2014 Neutral..............................W, 6-1 April 26, 2014 Away................................W, 5-1

YOUNG HARRIS (GA)

Overall Record: 1-0 Home: 1-0

April 9, 2013 Home.................................W, 6-3

MATIAS HATEM BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

63


2015-16 GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS

GRIZZLY MEN’S TENNIS 64

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.