The Bluffton University men’s tennis team is preparing to take the courts for Hall-of-Fame coach Ron Huber’s final season at the helm.
With six experienced returners who all showed improvement during Bluffton’s first campaign following a two-year hiatus, the Beavers are ready to make their mark on the hardcourt this spring.
Juniors Matt Weisenborn (Bowling Green/Otsego) and A.J. Haley (Wilmington) manned the No. 1 and No. 2 singles slots for the Beavers in 2012. Weisenborn claimed a pair of victories at NAIA member St. Francis and he also won his No. 1 doubles contest at HCAC rival Manchester University.
A pair of returning seniors, John Oyer (Hesston, Kan./Hesston) and Kyle Schmidt (Berne, Ind./South Adams), will be joined by first-year member Lucas Fullenkamp (Botkins) for their final campaign at Bluffton.
Oyer was a fixture on Bluffton’s squad last season, earning a doubles victory at St. Francis while competing at No. 5-6 singles and No. 3 doubles.
Sophomores Brock Goetz (Graytown/Oak Harbor) and Matt McCoy (Archbold) are both back for their second season with the Beavers. McCoy split his time between No. 4 and No. 5 Singles and he collected a singles victory at Franklin in 2012.
Freshmen John Eckenrode (Northwood/Millbury Lake) and Owen Scott (Cincinnati/Withrow) add depth to Coach Huber’s program for the 2013 campaign.
A Heartland Conference that has been looking up at Earlham College the last two years has again picked the Quakers to score a three-peat this season after rolling to a 19-2 record, including a spotless 9-0 mark in the HCAC.
“Our conference will see an all-out battle for second place with many fine teams in the mix, but Earlham has the talent and depth to continue its run at the top of the HCAC,” stated Coach Huber. “They are the benchmark for the Heartland and it will take a huge upset for them not to claim a third straight title.”
The Beavers open the season on Saturday, March 16, when they welcome Heartland Conference foe Franklin College.
Bluffton plays at home for six of its first seven dates, the lone trip a short jaunt to Defiance for an invitational tournament on March 23.
Bluffton will cap off Coach Huber’s farewell tour with a dual match at rival Defiance College on Wednesday, April 24.
