MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama men’s tennis team will open the 2011 spring campaign with a three-match homestand starting Monday. The Jags will match up against the Colonels of Nicholls on courts 39-44 at the Mobile Tennis Center at 1 p.m.

The match will also open the 2011 spring season for the Colonels.

The match, originally scheduled to take place on the Bruce David Lubel Memorial Tennis Courts on USA’s campus, was moved to the Mobile Tennis Center due to court resurfacing.

“I wish we could play at home on our courts, but at least we don't have to travel far, with the Mobile Tennis Center being down the road,” said USA head coach Nick Brochu. “The first match is very important.  You always want to start on a good note.”

USA leads the all-time series with Nicholls 3-1, through the last season the Colonels picked up their first and only win against the Jaguars with a 5-2 victory in South Alabama’s home opener.

“All eight guys are ready to go and can't wait to start the season,” said Brochu. “We have everyone returning from last season, so we are looking for excellent results. We added one player, Parker Allen, who will provide us with more depth and more options for doubles.”

USA enters the match boasting the No. 36 doubles team in the country in senior Lucas Viel (Boussy-Saint-Antoine, France) and junior Romain Bocaert (Lille, France) paired up to go 6-2 overall in the fall.
Bocaert and Viel, who alternated the No. 1 and No. 2 singles spots for the Jags last season, led the Jaguars in singles action this fall going 5-2 and 6-2, respectively.

“Last year the top two guys, Romain (Bocaert) and Lucas (Viel), did awesome,” said Brochu. “They kind of exchanged positions. This year we’re looking to do the same. Both of those guys are very strong. It allows us to have a little flexibility. Having two top guys is kind of like a little luxury. One thing I really expect this year is the bottom guys to start challenging those top guys.”

Junior Dauw Kruger (Pretoria, South Africa) also had a good showing this fall for South Alabama posting a mark of 9-4. Last season Kruger went 12-5 in dual matches including an eight-match win streak.

“I know I’m expecting big things from Dauw this year,” said Brochu. “Dauw had a really good fall. He’s always been a very consistent player lower in the lineup, but this year I want to give him an opportunity to show everyone that he can play in the middle of the lineup.”

The Jaguars’ Hanno Bartsch, a junior from Pretoria, South Africa, went 6-2 overall in the fall.

“Hanno had a good fall. I think he’s really starting to understand his game,” said Brochu. “He’s been looking for his game the previous two years. Hanno is a tough guy that has a lot of power. He’s got all the shots and he can hit a hundred miles per hour from anywhere on the court. He’s been trying to make better shot selections. He didn’t really change anything technically. Mentally, he’s just got to make better shot selections. When he does that, I’ve seen him beat guys that are really good.”

Junior Christian Kuehne (Morbach, Germany) and Bocaert teamed up to make one of the Jags’ top doubles teams posting a 6-3 mark overall last season.

“I have to say Christian is our best doubles player,” said Brochu. “He’s very effective at the net, very strong, hits great returns and he’s got a lot of confidence in doubles. We’re working on carrying that confidence over to singles. Last year Christian played No. 3, No. 4 and, sometimes, No. 5. This year, I think Christian is going to have a good year because last year he was new to the team. This year he was named captain and he’s starting to demonstrate a lot of leadership on the court not only with his mouth, but with his racket as well.”

USA’s Alexandre Bernard (Soisy Sur Seine, France), a sophomore, went 8-9 last season primarily from No. 4 singles.

“Another guy that has worked really hard this year in the fall is Alex who was not eligible to play in the fall, but he is now and he’s looking to have a strong season,” said Brochu. “Last year Alex played mostly No. 3 or No. 4 and he just had a very good season as a freshman. We’re really looking forward to him challenging those two top guys because Alex is going to be with us for another three years. I’m looking forward to him becoming a good leader on the team.”

South Alabama’s only other senior Jairo Seur (Amsterdam, Netherlands) returns for his final season with the Jaguars. Seur went 1-4 in fall action.

“Last year Jairo played half of the season with us so he had some opportunities,” said Brochu. “Jairo is the type of guy that is a perfectionist. Hopefully he understands that he’s playing well. One good quality of Jairo is that he always wants to get better, but sometimes he has a tendency to be a little bit too demanding of himself. I believe that he had a great fall. He played some big matches.”  

USA’s newcomers include freshman Parker Allen (Hot Springs, Ark.) and junior Cody Hall (Albuquerque, N.M.). Hall, who played his first two years at the Air Force Academy, will sit out the season due to NCAA transfer rules.

“We added two players,” said Brochu. “Unfortunately, one of them has to sit out for one year. I wish Cody could be playing with us because he’s a great player. He’s working really hard at practice. Then we had the addition of Parker. Parker brings a lot of power to this team. He’s got a big game. He’s still very young, but once he matures a little more and realizes the type of game that he should play he can be very effective on the court. He’s definitely going to help us in doubles. That’s going to be the first big thing. He’s got a big serve and he can hit a big forehand. If he sticks to that he’s definitely got a shot at securing a spot in the lineup.”

After USA’s season opener vs. Nicholls on Monday, the Jags host Florida A&M on Feb. 6 at 1 p.m. at the Mobile Tennis Center.

Admission to all home matches is free. Match results can be accessed at www.usajaguars.com.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check with www.usajaguars.com.  Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251)461-1USA(1872).