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     The Malone College men’s tennis team, led by first-year head coach Tom Brown, is looking to pick up where it left off last season after posting a 9-12 mark overall (2-2 AMC South) and reaching the semifinal round of the NAIA Region IX Tournament with a convincing 8-1 first-round playoff victory.  The team, which was playing its best tennis by season’s end, finished in third place among five teams in the AMC South last year and hopes to improve upon that position this season.
     The 2005 squad consists of two seniors, two juniors, three sophomores and one freshman.  Sophomore Jason Christman (Canton McKinley H.S.), who will still have three years of eligibility remaining after this season, paces the team at the #1 singles slot.  According to Coach Brown, Christman’s attributes include “a relentless attacking style, a cannonball serve and the athletic ability to cover the court.”
     The remaining singles slots are occupied by a solid group of veterans who have played two or three years.  At #2 singles is returning letterman Dave Neidlinger (So., Copley H.S.), who posted an 11-9 singles record and a 10-10 doubles mark last year.
     The #3 and #4 singles positions are held by the two seniors on the squad, Brian Paul (Louisville H.S.) and Adam Carrick (West Holmes H.S.), respectively.  Paul recorded an 8-10 mark last season and was named to the All-AMC South Team in doubles while Carrick tallied a team-best 12-9 record.  
     Dan Aluise (Jr., Cranberry Twp., PA) is competing in the fifth singles slot followed by Ermine Millhone (So., Meadowbrook H.S.) at the #6 position.  Aluise won seven of 14 matches last year.
     In doubles competition, Christman and Paul team up at the #1 spot followed by the tandem of Neidlinger and Carrick at #2.  Dan Yard (Fr., Louisville H.S.) and Alex McMahan (Jr., North Canton Hoover H.S.) round out the doubles competition at the #3 spot.
     Each Pioneer player has picked up at least one victory (in either singles or doubles) in the early going of the 2005 season.  The Pioneers opened the ‘05 year with an 8-1 loss to NCAA Div. II University of Charleston (WV).  Christman and Paul teamed up at #1 doubles to earn Malone's only win on the day with an 8-6 win.  The squad then lost a hard-fought 5-4 decision at NCAA Div. II Slippery Rock (PA) University.  Christman picked up his first victory of the young season (6-3, 6-3) while Christman and Paul remained perfect at 2-0 at #1 doubles this season with an 8-5 win. Carrick also picked up his first win on the season (6-2, 6-2) as did Neidlinger and Carrick at #2 doubles (8-4). Malone then fell to Oberlin College (away) 6-1. Christman earned the team's only win on the day with a 6-2, 6-4 victory. 
     The first victory of the current campaign came on Feb. 25th in the team’s first home match of the season as the Pioneers easily defeated Wilmington College 8-1.  Malone lost only one set in the entire match.
     Malone is playing some of its toughest opponents early in the season, and although the Pioneers have just one win thus far, Coach Brown says the team is playing well and could easily have turned two of its losses into wins.  So, the tough schedule faced early on will likely benefit the squad later in the season when the team tackles conference foes and battles for the AMC South title.
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