GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men's and women's tennis teams are thrilled about the start of the 2022 spring season. Both programs have high hopes for the season, and they expect to compete for Southern Conference championships.
"Both of our teams have the potential to have very special seasons in 2022," UNCG head men's and women's tennis coach Jeff Trivette said. "I am looking forward to playing a normal spring season and showing everyone, including ourselves, how good these teams can be."
Many key players return for UNCG from last season.
All nine men's players competed last season and during the fall. They are experienced and talented.
The UNCG men benefit from the return of graduate student Nico Grewe, who led UNCG with eight singles victories in 2021. He was 5-0 at No. 2 singles. The doubles team of Roger Rogowski and Cooper Wyett went 7-2, winning their last five matches in a row.
"We had a true fall this year," Trivette said. "We played a ton of matches. We have not had that type of preparation for a while. Both teams will be prepared because of being able to compete during the fall."
Grewe, Alexander Zuckerman, Rogowski, and Hugh Knapp all won singles matches during the SoCon fall tournament in Belton, South Carolina. Other members expected to contribute are David Flisberg, Michael Gwynn, Hampus Johanssen, and Christopher Johns.
The women have a nice blend of experience and youth that could produce memorable moments this spring. Erika Barquero, Eugenia Camacho, and Ariana Chan are senior leaders for the Spartans. Barquero and Chan didn't play last spring.
Camacho, a Costa Rica native, represented her home country for the third time in her life during the Billie Jean King Cup, a tennis event held in Panama City, Panama, this past June.
Redshirt junior Hanna Giddings led UNCG with eight singles victories last season.
Sophomore Juliana Craft could blossom into one of the top performers in the SoCon this season. Craft won seven singles matches. She was 3-0 in singles matches that went three sets. UNCG features three newcomers in Olivia Gallagher, Hannah Mitchell, and McCollough Perry. They got some meaningful reps during the fall competition.
"While I have only been with the women for a week of practice, I believe they have the potential to be one of the teams in the top of the league," Trivette said. "They are very talented and have worked very hard in every practice. I expect the men to compete for one of the top spots in the conference. We have a lot of experience in our top guys, and I believe that we will compete with every team on our schedule."
Both programs begin their season Friday by hosting Kennesaw State at the Piedmont Tennis Courts. The men will also play North Carolina Central later that evening at 6 p.m.
The optimism and enthusiasm around the Spartan program is high.
"For both teams, we have a group of young players that will be very important to our success," Trivette said. "They are talented, hardworking, and confident in their abilities. We will need them to step up and contribute right away to our success."
