GREENSBORO, N.C. – The 2021-22 UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men's tennis program treated fans to enjoyable moments and standout individual performances during the past season.
 
"This season was a bit of a roller coaster ride," UNCG head coach Jeff Trivette said. "We had a lot of really great moments and accomplishments such as all-conference selections, fantastic team wins and come from behind moments, all things to be proud of.
 
"We also had some disappointments, where we had put ourselves in positions to really raise the success level of this program and we fell a little short. However, I believe that we have built a core and a culture that this program will grow from in the years to come."
 
UNCG opened the season with a 7-0 win over North Carolina Central for its first shutout since 2018. The Spartans also started 2-0 in the Southern Conference for the first time since 2014. UNCG also beat Mercer for the first time under Trivette.
 
Graduate student Nico Grewe earned First Team All-Southern Conference honors as a singles player. In addition, Grewe and senior Roger Rogowski were named to the All-SoCon First Team as a doubles pairing. Grewe also earned a Men's Tennis Player of the Week accolade during the season.
 
Senior Hugh Knapp led UNCG in singles wins with 12. He had a seven-match winning streak midway through the season. Grewe and Rogowski finished with 11 victories each.
 
"Nico is one of the best stories to have come through this program in a long time," Trivette said. "He is a kid that nobody knew much about him in high school. He came here, completely transformed himself physically and mentally.
 
"He went from not being a regular in our line up as a freshman, to being one of the best players we have had in this program. He came back for his fifth year to challenge himself and see exactly how good he could be. I am extremely proud of him and the work that he did while he was here. He was one of the best kids in the Southern Conference."
 
UNCG had some great victories especially against Samford and Mercer at home. Another strong win was against The Citadel. UNCG dropped five matches that were decided by 4-3 scores, which demonstrated the competitiveness the program showcased each time it played.
 
"The Mercer match was a big win, because that is the first time we have beaten Mercer since I took over the men's program, Trivette said. "The Samford win, at home, was a great team effort. We played some of our best tennis of the year on our home courts. 
 
 
"I believe that we had eight 3-4/4-3 matches this year. The fact that we were that close, that competitive in eight matches shows that we are right there. That's the level that we want consistently day in and day out. We hope that the experience our returners got from those battles will pay off next year."
 
Junior Alexander Zuckerman won six matches at No. 2 singles and was a part of six doubles victories, mostly at the No. 1 flight. Sophomores Harrison Gwynn, Christopher Johns, David Flisberg, and Hampus Johansson all had key moments throughout the season. Senior Cooper Wyett won eight matches during doubles competition.
 
"We had a group of sophomores this year that were vital to our success. We challenged them at the beginning of the season, and they responded at a level we had not seen from them before. We owe a lot of our success on and off the court to that core group. We will depend on them heavily for the next couple of years.
 
"I am extremely proud of this group. We are losing a huge part of our program and our family, but it is the natural progression of college athletics. All these guys will move on and do great things. This group of seniors has endured more than any of us could have ever imagined. They have left us better for it."