2007 Season Recap

Men’s Tennis Makes Fourth Straight Trip To Postseason Tourney

Under the leadership of third-year head coach Tom Brown, the Malone College men’s tennis team once again qualified for the NAIA Region IX/X Tournament after finishing fourth (among seven teams) in the American Mideast Conference standings at the end of the regular season. 
 
The Pioneers opened the year on a positive note by winning eight of their first 12 contests which included a four-match winning streak midway through the season. However, following a 7-2 victory at home over Roberts Wesleyan (NY) College on March 24th, the squad proceeded to drop five of its final six contests to end the regular season with a 9-8 overall record and a 3-3 mark in conference play.
 
The Pioneers were then faced with a daunting challenge in the first round of the playoffs, as the squad had to face off against top-seeded Walsh University. The Cavaliers compiled a perfect 6-0 AMC record during the season and despite the Pioneers’ best efforts, eliminated Malone from the tournament with a 9-0 victory.
 
Senior Jason Christman (Sr., McKinley H.S.) earned All-AMC singles honors after posting a solid 8-10 record at the #1 singles position. He also teamed with freshman Nathaniel Rodd (home schooled; Canton, OH) to tally a 10-7 record as the #2 doubles pair. 
 
Sophomores Kyle Bowers (Norwalk H.S.) and Tim Springirth (Erie, PA) also put together strong 2007 seasons. Bowers led the squad in wins with an 11-7 record from the #2 singles spot while Springirth, the team’s #3 singles player, compiled a 10-8 singles mark. The duo also combined at #1 doubles and ended the season with an 8-10 record.
 
Junior Dan Yard (Louisville H.S.) and freshman Tim Frazier (Beaver Falls, PA) competed at #5 and #6 singles, respectively, and posted 5-12 and 8-10 marks. In addition, freshmen Daniel Fahl (Ravenna H.S.) and Josh Fisher (Louisville H.S.) competed in one #3 doubles match during the 2007 campaign and came away with an 8-4 victory.
 
Christman’s graduation will certainly have a significant impact on the program but Malone’s lineup, made up primarily of underclassmen, gained plenty of experience this year that they will look to utilize next spring as they fight to once again qualify for the postseason.
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