Men's Tennis Team Heads to Nationals
Ranked Third in Country


4/30/10


West Windsor, N.J. - Ranked no. 3 in the country in Div. III, the men’s tennis team is hoping to “get the job done” at the National Junior College Athletic Association’s national tournament, to be held May 10-14 in Plano, TX. According to Head Coach Marc Vecchiolla, his players are “hungry and ready to make their mark.”

The Vikings finished the regular season with a record of 10-2. In the Region 19 tournament, held at the Mercer County Tennis Center April 23-24, the Vikings finished second with 16 points after Gloucester CC with 20 points. Brookdale finished third with 11 points.

Mercer’s Region 19 winners included Jason Bielski at no. 2 singles; Matt Pierson and Jason Bielski at no. 1 doubles; and Juan Ramirez and Matt Romano at no. 3 doubles. Romano and Ramirez remained unbeaten throughout the season with a record of 12-0.

MCCC’s Matt Pierson, the top seed at no. 1 singles, won in three sets in the semi-final round against an opponent from Gloucester who reached the national final last season. Pierson then fell to Tom Wolski of Brookdale in the final. Juan Ramirez, at no. 4 singles, made it to the final, as did no. 5 Ben Pinter. Numerous matches went to third sets and tie-breakers.

While Vecchiolla considers this team to be one of Mercer’s strongest ever, he notes that the competition in the region has never been better. In current ITA rankings, three of the top four teams in the country are from Region 19: Gloucester in second place, Mercer in third place, and Brookdale in fourth. Oxford College (GA), the 2009 national champs, is ranked first.

““The opportunity is there for them. They are prepared and confident going in,” Vecchiolla says. “I honestly believe they are the best team in a really strong region. They are going to go out there and try to take home the prize.”

More photos here.

Jason Bielski at no. 2 doubles
Juan Ramirez and Matt Romano remained unbeaten
at no. 3 doubles.
 

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