Net News - January 18
1/18/2019 1:44:00 PM | Men's Tennis
Happy 2019 Everyone,
Excitement and anticipation has been building for nearly five months since the guys put on their backpacks last August 22 to start the new school year.  We've had plenty to look forward to as we didn't lose anyone to graduation and have everyone back for this upcoming campaign.  Following a fall term filled with many hours training on court and in the gym, traveling over 6,000 miles to compete in a smorgasbord of tournaments, staying focused and excelling in the classroom (team recorded a 3.57 fall gpa), the main event is upon us…ding, ding.  "In one corner, wearing crimson and white, weighing in with a fit frame, dialed in mindset, owning a 0-0 record and ready to execute and deliver, ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Alabama Crimson Tide.  And in the other corner, sporting an array of colors, somewhat similar physique and focus, also without a win or loss, refusing to give anything away for free but rather battle just as hard, ladies and gentleman I give you the Alabama opponents, bringing a determined look to take down the Tide at home or on the road."  And as famed announcer Michael Buffer would say, "Let's get ready to rummmmmmble!"
Coach Robbie Weiss and I welcome back all ten of our guys as nobody wore a cap and gown last May but rather turned one year older in the school and age department. Â Mazen Osama is our lone senior, followed by a junior foursome in Thibault Cancel, Alexey Nesterov, Edson Ortiz and Zhe Zhou. Â Then comes the sophomore class of Sam Fischer, Patrick Kaukovalta, Riccardo Roberto and Grant Stuckey. Â Jeremy Gschwendtner,who technically is in his second year, is a bit of a freshman as he is now eligible to compete in matches after sitting out a looong year per NCAA rules. Â I suppose our only real newbie and freshman is assistant coach Lalo Ugalde who joined the staff at the tail end of summer after serving as a graduate assistant coach at Jacksonville State. Â So that's the crew, supported by so many on staff, on campus, in the stands and in the community. Â We are blessed and grateful for the many hands helping to keep the Tide rising.
Our home schedule features a baker's dozen of matches with the first seven played at the cozy Roberta Alison Baumgardner Indoor Tennis Facility (aka The R.A.B.). Â First up are the maize and blue, better known as Michigan. Â Led by former Alabama head coach, Adam Steinberg, the Wolverines come off an NCAA Sweet 16 appearance of their own and a final no. 14 national team ranking. Â I suppose you could say we're starting off in the heavyweight division. Â Following this duel, our guys return to the ring to face UT-Chattanooga later in the nightcap. Â Match #3 and #4 take place on Martin Luther King Jr. Day with Charlotte and North Alabama visiting the R.A.B. Â The second weekend of the season features a pair of notable opponents in both the tennis and academic world, Northwestern and Harvard. Â These teams will not only face off against us, but Auburn will travel to Tuscaloosa to compete against the Wildcats and Crimson respectively. Â The non-conference homestand concludes with another 2018 NCAA Sweet 16 team in the Gophers of Minnesota, who travel south to escape part of their winter led by another former Alabama coach, Geoff Young.
The much anticipated SEC campaign is scheduled to be played outdoors unless Mother Nature has other plans. Â LSU, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Florida, South Carolina and Arkansas are on the home card with Senior Day and Mazen Osama being celebrated at the Razorback bout. Â First serves on Thursdays and Fridays will be struck at 6pm while Saturday and Sunday clashes begin at 1pm (with the exception of Texas A&M at 12pm). Â This year's conference championships take place in Gainesville April 17-21, so if you'd like to join us at the Swamp, we'd love to have you there with us.
Our away-from-home-sweet-home matches will certainly provide us with challenges and opportunities. Â We first head west to the Pacific Ocean to battle a pair of familiar schools in San Diego State (my alma mater) and Pepperdine (Robbie's alma mater). Â After returning home with sun tans or sunburns, we drive down the interstate to one of our favorite spots in Montgomery, Alabama for the Blue Gray Championships. Â The SEC road slate will be rough and require our gloves to remain up with three consecutive weekends of travel to Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, Auburn, Georgia and Tennessee. Â A bit daunting for some perhaps, however we shall prepare and jab, punch, stick and move round by round.
So I invite you all to join us for another season of fun. Â Admission to all tennis matches is FREE and so too are the breath taking points you'll see up close and personal. When you visit the indoor or outdoor facilities on match day, stop by the marketing table to grab a FREE program, a FREE car magnet or schedule magnet, FREE poster and a FREE crimson & white shaker to cheer on the Tide. Â You can also snap a FREE selfie with one of our life-sized player cutouts that will be on display for fans of all ages to capture their Kodak/iPhone/Galaxy moment. Â If you're interested in gaining access to our hospitality suite filled with plenty of snacks and drinks at all home matches, you'll want to join the Crimson Racket Club (CRC), our official booster club. Â In addition to suite access, you'll also receive a sharp looking Alabama Tennis backpack cooler that comes in handy for sporting events, picnicking, lake or beach trips and even supper clubs. Â The CRC will host two FREE grill outs on March 3 (Texas A&M) and April 7(South Carolina), both very tasty and filling. Â If you can't make it to our matches you can now follow us via live stats or live stream indoors and outdoors. Â New cameras were installed inside the R.A.B. to compliment a similar set on the six, scoreboard side, outdoor courts. Â Combine that with social media posts, website updates and some billboard advertising, I'm hopeful you'll know what's happening with Alabama Tennis.
I'm looking forward to seeing you soon, and as always…
Roll Tide!
George
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