Trojan netters selected third
By MOC Sports Information
Published in Sports on January 24, 2012 1:48 PM
Mount Olive received one first-place vote, missed the top spot by only five points and finished third overall in the 2012 Conference Carolinas preseason men's tennis poll, as voted on by the league's head coaches.
The Trojans are projected for a runner-up spot in East Division play.
MOC garnered 84 points in the poll -- two points behind second-place Limestone, which picked up two first-place votes. Defending regular-season and tournament champion Queens University of Charlotte earned seven first-place votes and topped the poll with 89 points.
Lees-McRae received the final first-place vote.
Directed by head coach and MOC alum Kevin Coghill, the Trojans return four starters off last year's team, which ended the season ranked No. 44 in the ITA year-end national top 50 poll. Coghill's squad logged a 12-8 worksheet that included a 5-3 record against Conference Carolinas opposition.
Diogo Sender was named to the 2011 all-Conference Carolinas second team and is one of three returning players who earned player-of-the-week honors last year. Akio Mariano and Gabriel Santana were also Conference Carolinas player-of-the-week recipients in 2011.
Murilo Pelegrino was a full-time doubles starter and part-time singles starter last year.
The Trojans are coming off a strong fall, which saw returner Brahm Moolman combine for a doubles title and Santana win a consolation singles title at the Conference Carolinas Fall Tournament. Mount Olive also captured first and second place in doubles at the Methodist University Tournament as Mariano teamed up with newcomer Edgar Bub for the title, while Santana and newcomer Rik Wolthuis were runners-up.'
MOC launches its 2012 season Feb. 1 at East Carolina University. The Trojans return home the following day for a match against Southeast Region foe Francis Marion (S.C.) University.