The Bellarmine University men’s tennis team believes its blend of veteran leadership and youth will translate into a successful season for the Knights.
Bellarmine will be led by seniors Jose Legarreta and Zachary Kuo, the all-time winningest doubles team in program history. That duo is expected to fill Bellarmine’s Nos. 1-2 singles slots in addition to being the No. 1 doubles squad. The pair went 4-3 together in the fall while Legarreta notched a team-high four singles victories and Kuo tallied three.
“Jose and Zachary are playing at an extremely high level right now as they push each other in every practice and are poised to finish out their careers on a high note,” Bellarmine Coach John Mican said. “Picking up some strong wins in both singles and doubles this fall against D-I players in the U of L tournament has given these guys the confidence to compete with anyone.”
In addition to Legarreta and Kuo, Bellarmine (6-13, 1-5 Great Lakes Valley Conference last season) has a third senior in Alex Swords. He and junior Matthew Momper add further seasoning to the Knights. Momper was third on the team last season with 16 total wins.
“Alex and Matthew will also be a formidable doubles team,” Mican said. “With their strong service games and net coverage, they will be very tough to beat.”
Sophomore Lauren de Boeck secured 11 total wins last season, including eight in doubles play. He’s expected to combine with fellow sophomore L.J. Allara to round out Bellarmine’s doubles units.
“Lauren is back to 100 percent after an injury plagued freshman campaign, and we are expecting some positive results with L.J. at the No. 3 doubles spot,” Mican said. “Our doubles teams have great chemistry and will positively support one another through thick and thin. Having three strong doubles teams will make us competitive with any team we face this spring.”
Sophomores Vladimir Danicic and Joe Simon and freshman Andrew Jones are anticipated to provide some quality depth.
“This group feels like a veteran team as our top four players all have gained major experience over the last few years,” Mican said. “Working hard and staying healthy will be our keys to success and the guys have certainly been working hard.”
Bellarmine finished sixth in the GLVC’s East Division last season, but the Knights believe they are poised to climb the ladder. Bellarmine opens its spring season Saturday by meeting Lindsey Wilson at the University of Louisville.
“We had a disappointing year record-wise with some untimely injuries, but ultimately our returning players improved, gained experience and we have put last year behind us,” Mican said. “We realize that the GLVC is very strong in tennis and every match on our schedule will be a tough one. Last year’s win against the West Division’s No. 4 seed Quincy showed us what we are capable of with a full team effort.
“Our goals this year are to win more conference matches and make the conference tournament. Although last year was a rough one as far as team wins were concerned, we know if we keep everyone healthy our expectations are achievable.”
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by Adam Pruiett
