Clemson Men’s Tennis Begins Conference Play Saturday in Chapel Hill

March 4, 2004

Clemson, SC — The 38th-ranked Clemson Men’s Tennis Team will begin its Atlantic Coast Conference schedule on Saturday afternoon when it travels to Chapel Hill to take on #36 North Carolina. The 1:00 p.m. contest will mark the ACC season-opener for both schools.

Clemson is currently 14-4 on the season, with its only losses coming to opponents ranked in the Top 50 on the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) poll. Last weekend, Clemson split its two matches, falling to No. 47 South Alabama 4-3, and then defeating Southern 7-0. So far this season, Clemson is undefeated at home (6-0) and at neutral sites (5-0), but has struggled when playing at an opponents home court, going just 3-4 on the 2004 season.

The Tigers are led by sophomore Jarmaine Jenkins, ranked No. 71 in the nation in singles action, and junior Nathan Thompson, the 75th-ranked player in the country. Senior Robbye Poole may be Clemson’s hottest players. Boetsch is currently 14-2 on the season and has won ten straight matches. Poole has come on strong in the past two weeks, recording a perfect 7-0 record in dual matches this season.

Clemson is under the leadership of head coach Chuck Kriese in his 29th season. Kriese holds a 579-360 record, and is ranked as the sixth winningest active coach in NCAA Division I. The two-time National Coach-of-the-Year has led the Tigers to 20 NCAA Tournament appearances.

North Carolina enters the match as one of the hottest teams in the conference with a 10-1 record on the season. The Tar Heels began the season by winning seven straight matches, including an upset of 14th-ranked Georgia in Athens. North Carolina’s only loss this season came at the hands of #12 Virginia Commonwealth on February 22. Since then, the Tar Heels have been able to notch three straight victories, including a decisive 6-1 victory over 19th-ranked South Carolina on Tuesday in Columbia.

The Tar Heels are led by senior Nick Monroe. The #36 player in the nation, Monroe sports a perfect 11-0 record this season. Monroe was named the ACC Player of the Week on February 16 after upsetting sixth-ranked Bo Hodge of Georgia in a three set thriller. Senior Andy Metzler has also helped the Tar Heels earning a 9-1 record this season.