North Carolina State University Athletics
2006 Outlook: Wolfpack Men's Tennis
1/17/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Jan. 17, 2006
RALEIGH, N.C. - Last year the men's tennis team at NC State was the surprise of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Finishing the season with a No. 46 final national ranking and the most team wins in one season in well over a decade, the Wolfpack appeared to have finally turned the corner in becoming a premier program.
While last season may stand as a banner year for the team in the annals of history at NC State, head coach Jon Choboy and assistant coach Matt Halfpenny aren't satisfied.
"There's more to be done here," Choboy said. "We are not intimidated and we are not going to accept a backseat to anyone."
With that sentiment being shared throughout the entire roster and coaching staff, NC State seems poised to continue skyrocketing up the national rankings during the 2005-06 season. With concrete goals of advancing up the ACC standings and reaching the NCAA tournament, Choboy is confident that his team has what it takes to get things done. Last season, the Pack missed the postseason by one spot.
This year, however, a deep pool of experience and talent have the Pack thinking that this is their year.
"We are extremely deep one through 10," Choboy said. "When I got here we could barely field a team, but that certainly isn't the case anymore."
Seniors Will Shaw and Val Banada will make their swan song with the team, eager to capitalize on one final year of eligibility, while William Noblitt will look to grow on an immensely successful season a year ago. Noblitt, who led the team in combined singles and doubles wins throughout 2004-05 (46), as well as total ACC decisions (13), appears ready to accept a leadership role during his junior campaign.
One name that is sure to be circled on all opponent scouting reports is sophomore Nick Cavaday. Cavaday collected 35 combined wins in singles and doubles last season, tying Shaw and junior Andre Iriarte for third best on the team. Minor injuries plagued Iriarte in the fall, but he seems poised to be fully recovered for spring action. Last season Iriarte went .500 in ACC singles, as did Cavaday.
Alongside Cavaday, three more sophomores add valuable depth and consistency to the roster. David Rozek, Mason Schermerhorn and Ben Zink each gained quality experience last spring and looked even more impressive in fall workouts and tournaments. Schermerhorn finshed last season with the second most combined singles and doubles victories on the team (39).
"All of our guys have improved because of hard work, as well as having spent one more year in the system," Choboy said. "David, Mason and Ben are all going to compete for starting spots. Each of their games has improved ten-fold since the day they arrived on campus."
In addition to the eight returning letterwinners, Choboy landed one of the nation's top recruiting classes in picking up Jay Weinacker of Mountain Brook, Ala., and Chris Welte of Moylan, Pa. At the conclusion of their junior careers, both players were ranked No. 1 in the USTA Southern and Middle-States Sections, respectively.
"Jay and Chris both bring some firepower to the team," Choboy said. "They have good size and they are ferocious competitors. We need imposing players and we feel like we hit the jackpot with these two guys. These are loyal guys that can go into war with us and cover our backs."
That's exactly the type of player that Choboy and Halfpenny have been looking for. For two coaches who have spent nearly a decade recruiting and teaching the game together, Choboy and Halfpenny appear noticeably excited about their team and the road ahead this season. These days, other teams are paying attention to the Wolfpack too.
"There's a lot of respect for the Wolfpack out there," Choboy said. "This team is at a point where we can beat anyone and other schools know that. That really helps us to find some challenging opponents because teams know that when we play on the court, it's going to be a quality match.
"People are recognizing the fact that NC State is becoming a top-flight national program," Choboy said. "We are winning big matches and signing top talent to join in on what we're doing here. Our name is out and things are beginning to happen."
If this year's squad eclipses the accomplishments of the team from last year, don't be surprised. With a solid returning cast and two of the nation's premier freshmen on board, the Wolfpack seems destined to continue moving down the championship pathway.
