With the varsity program getting cut, UMBC Club Tennis is the best chance for the Retrievers to get some national recognition. VAVEL.com will be running a series of USTA Tennis on Campus (TOC) previews of teams in the Mid-Atlantic Region. The USTA Mid-Atlantic region consists of schools from the Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia.
There are over 20 schools in the Mid-Atlantic Region. The schools range from some of the biggest schools in the country to some smaller known ones. The most recognizable names are West Virginia University, the University of Maryland, the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Georgetown. Some of the smaller ones range from Washington and Lee University and Longwood University.
The previews will start with the UMBC Retrievers. The team was founded in 2005 and now with the varsity team gone starting next year, the UMBC Club Tennis team has a chance to put themselves on the map nationally. The team is just a little over 10 years old and had one of it’s best years last year. We look back at the year the Retrievers had as well as looking at their chances for their first-ever nationals bid next year.
Club Officers:
President: Kaitlyn Heo
Vice President: Noel Alberto
Men’s Captain: Sam Kiefer
Women’s Captain: Gueju Park
Key Returners and Departures
Returners
Kaitlyn Heo: Women’s singles, mixed doubles
Ninh Ngo: Men’s singles
Edward Cornish: Men’s doubles
Ati Ok: Men’s doubles
Serene Matthew: Women’s doubles, mixed doubles
Hunter Shelton: Men’s doubles, mixed doubles
Sam Keefer: Men’s singles, mixed doubles
Departures
Barun Ghosh: Mixed doubles
Byron Hung: Men’s doubles, mixed doubles
Last Year’s Results
Maryland Fall Invitational: Quarterfinals loss to UMD A
Virginia Fall Invitational: Quarterfinals loss to UVA A
USTA Mid-Atlantic Sectionals Tournament: Eliminated from Nationals contention in round-robin play; Silver Bracket champions over William and Mary
Maryland Spring Invitational: Semifinals loss to UMD A
James Madison Invitational: Winners over JMU A
USTA Border Battle: Eliminated in second round
USTA Ocean City Invitational: Finalist, loss to UMD
Expectations Headed Into Next Season
This is one of the best chances for the Retrievers to get to Nationals. The club only has two key departures, with one of them, Byron Hung, getting a significant amount of playing time. Most of the club is returning with all of them being underclassmen, outside of Sam Keefer. It is Nationals or bust now for the UMBC Club Tennis Team.