Men's Tennis Open Spring 2023 Season at Home Against Gustavus Adolphus

Florida Southern College men's tennis opens the 2023 season Thursday, Feb. 2 against Gustavus Adolphus College at 3 p.m. at the Wynee Warden Tennis Center. The Mocs will look to start the season strong to make consecutive NCAA postseason appearances after last year's regional berth, the first since 2017 for the program.
 
"We had a productive fall campaign and continue to get better each day," said head coach Rhett Rollyson in his first year with the Mocs. "We play in the toughest Division II conference in the country and our schedule is not for the faint of heart. Fortunately, we have most of our matches at home and will be looking for community and campus support to get the Mocs through some tough matches on the winning end."
 
2023 Spring Season Opener
Opponent – Gustavus Adolphus College
Date – February 2, 2023, 3 p.m.
Location – Wynee Warden Tennis Center
Live Stats - http://www.statbroadcast.com/events/statbroadcast.php?t=1&gid=sflo
 
Florida Southern hosts top Division III opponent Gustavus Adolphus College in the first of 17 home matches this season. The Mocs competed in the ITA South Regional Championships and Saint Leo Hidden Duals in the fall, with the Mercer Gridiron Classic postponed due to Hurricane Ian. Fall came after the 2022 spring campaign, which ended as the best season in recent history for the program. The Mocs made the NCAA regional tournament for the first time in six years, taking the last at-large selection in a dominant South Region. Facing adversity all season, the Mocs put together a great 2022 season against tough competition. Ranked as high as 22nd in the nation, the Mocs had big wins over top 25 teams in the early part of the season and went undefeated at home for most of the spring season. This season, the Mocs were picked sixth in the SSC Men's Tennis Preseason Coaches Poll.
 
The 2023 Squad
The Mocs return eight from last year's regional squad, having lost seven seniors to graduation. Chris Fok Kow returns as one of the captains for the Mocs and a leader that has continued to improve since fall's round of competition. Fok Kow had a great season last year, with eight wins on the doubles court paired with standout Valentin Hertweck. The pairing was ranked as high as No. 24 in doubles, including a massive 6-2 win over No. 7 pairing from AUM. Florida Southern's other captain on the squad is Danny Thomas, a graduate student and long-time member of the tennis team, who will take on the doubles #2 court.
 
Another key contributor returning is Elliott Altman, a sophomore that went 8-10 overall in singles, primarily on the #3 and #4 courts. He had a win against a nationally ranked opponent, and paired with Matteo Feggi in four doubles competitions, winning one. Feggi will be another athlete to watch after a great first year with the Mocs. The sophomore from Germany went 6-5 over in dual meets and has emerged as a strong doubles competitor for the upcoming season. Other returners looking for action this spring include Nicholas Mora, Ryan Rajakar, JP Fujiwara, and Alex Fascio.
 
The 2023 newcomers for Florida Southern include four freshmen and two transfers. Inaki Braun Simo, a transfer from Irvine Vally College, will see time on the #2 court as a strong competitor and valuable member to the Mocs. The second transfer is Lukas Bonafante, a sophomore from Indiana Institute of Technology. Senior Luke Lau, from Hong Kong, is another new member to the Florida Southern team and contributor to the depth of the roster, which Rollyson believes is a strong trait on this team.
 
The freshmen for the 2023 men's tennis squad will see valuable time on the court, led by Mario Garoz. A Toledo, Spain native, Garoz has shown great time on the court ahead of the season opener and a key spot in the middle of the six courts. John Gidefjord is the second freshman, from Sweden, that the Mocs will rely on in the final spots of the lineup and another strong athlete on the court. Reese Hilsen and Edoardo Melindo rounded out the Moccasin freshman.
 
"Given the great depth of the squad, we can have nine athletes in the lineup for our matches," said Rollyson on the team's strengths. "We got guys all the way down the line, but we are excited and ready to go for this season. We play 10 matches that are in the top 25…and I want this team to play the best. Being a good teammate and holding each other accountable to bring energy to the matches will be the message I portray to this team."
 
2023 Florida Southern College Home Schedule
^Feb. 2 – 3 PM – vs Gustavus Adolphus
*Feb. 6 – 3 PM – vs Lynn University
*Feb. 11 – 2 PM – vs Barry University
Feb. 21 – 3 PM – vs Bates College
*Feb. 23 – 3 PM – vs Rollins College
Feb. 25 – 2 PM – vs Flagler College
March 6 – 3 PM – vs Merrimack College
March 7 – 12 PM – vs Michigan Tech University
March 8 – 10 AM – vs Northwood University
March 10 – 12 PM – vs Grand Valley State University
March 11 – 12 PM – vs Southern New Hampshire University
March 15 – 3 PM – vs Thomas Jefferson University (PA)
March 16 – 3 PM – vs Bentley University
March 19 – 2 PM – vs Washburn University
*March 25 – 2 PM – vs Palm Beach Atlantic University
*March 29 – 3 PM – vs Saint Leo University
April 13 – 3 PM – vs Queens College

^ Season Opener
* SSC Match