The UNM men’s tennis team has a no-fear mentality entering the spring dual season.
Last year, the Lobos captured the Mountain West Conference title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. The team boasted a 20-6 record, and senior Johnny Parkes was named the MWC Player of the Year.
But that was last season.
This year, the Lobos are without a senior on their roster and boast only one upperclassman.
“We’re a young team,” said head coach Alan Dils. “But that doesn’t change any of our expectations. Winning the conference regular-season and tournament titles is always one of our goals.”
Dils said this year’s team is one of the hardest-working groups he’s seen in his 15 years of coaching.
“This team, in the three months in the fall, has improved more than any other team I’ve coached,” he said. “Everyone comes to practice with lots of energy and a real willingness to learn. It’s nice as a coach to see them willing to try new things and want to get better.”
Also in the Lobos’ favor is the return of Parkes, along with other graduated seniors Miles Bugby and Graeme Kassautzki, as volunteer undergraduate coaches.
“This year we’re placing an emphasis on improving with each match,” Dils said. “We’re going to look toward Johnny, Miles and Graeme for their experience. Even though they’re not playing, they are still in a leadership position in helping to develop the younger players.”
UNM’s lone junior this season is Joe Wood, who brings two years of collegiate experience to the team.
“Certainly we’ll look to Joe, being the oldest and most experienced, for on-court leadership,” Dils said. “But we also have a number of sophomores who can step up for us, too. Ben Dunbar and Phil Anderson have the potential to be vocal on-court leaders. And Carl Ho, who may not be the most vocal, gives everything he’s got every day. His effort and drive is leadership in and of itself.”
Another positive for the Lobos this season is the team’s ability to bring in top-notch talent. UNM’s incoming freshmen Jadon Phillips and Conor Berg rank No. 17 in the nation, according to the Tennis Recruiting Network’s list of 2009 top recruiting classes.
“Our team has a lot of drive this season,” Wood said. “We may be young, but everyone on the team is ready to step up and start playing. We’re ready to make our marks on the Lobo tennis program and see what we can do.”
But the secret weapon, Wood said, is the team’s cohesiveness.
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“UNM tennis has always had a great camaraderie among its players,” he said. “We’re all the best of friends, on and off the court. That transfers to on-court success, because we’re all there to support each other, giving it all we’ve got for the betterment of the team.”
*Men’s tennis vs. Texas A&M – Corpus Christi
Saturday, 5 p.m.
The Linda Estes Tennis Complex*
