Feb. 4, 2014
MAAC Preseason Release with Poll
The Siena men were picked seventh and the women fifth in the MAAC's annual Preseason Coaches' Poll released today. Both teams will try to crack the top four in the conference to earn a spot at the MAAC Tennis Championships April 26-27 in West Windsor, N.J.
The Siena men went 3-4 this fall and 1-2 in MAAC action. The Saints have a veteran roster with seven of eight players either juniors or seniors. Seniors Ryan Schmitz and Peter Collins are at the front of the singles rotation, and junior Alex Burbine is coming off a fine fall at number three singles.
The women have one of the youngest teams in the conference, with the top two spots in their rotation currently held down by freshmen
Ali Garrity and
Mitsuki Fukamachi and number three singles in the hands of sophomore
Allysa Singh. The Saints are 2-4 on the season, but won their only MAAC match over Rider back in the fall.
The Marist men, who have won five of the last six MAAC titles, were unanimously selected as the preseason favorite with 64 points in the poll. The Red Foxes return every all but two from the team that defeated Fairfield in last year's MAAC Championship match. The Quinnipiac women topped the poll with 78 points. Head Coach Mike Quitko, an eight-time Northeast Conference Coach of the Year, has led the Bobcats to the conference championship title match in seven of the last eight seasons including four championships.
