This Week on the Courts

The Coastal Carolina men's tennis team (11-3, 2-1 Big South) has a very busy week of action with four matches. The week begins on Monday, March 20 as #10 Ohio State (11-1) and CCU play at 2 p.m. The second match of the week is on Friday, March 24 against North Carolina A&T (6-11) at 1:30 p.m. The third match of the week is a conference match against High Point (8-5, 2-1 Big South) at 12 p.m. in High Point, N.C. The Chants then return home for a Big South match against Birmingham-Southern (4-6, 1-2 Big South) at 12 p.m. on Sunday, March 26.

CCU has lost to national power Ohio State in each of its five meeting in as many years. Last year, Coastal lost 7-0 to the Buckeyes. The Chants are a perfect 5-0 lifetime against North Carolina A&T, including last year's 6-1 win. Coastal has never defeated conference rivals High Point and Birmingham Southern. The Chants 0-5 against HPU and 0-3 against BSC.

Coastal dropped its non-conference match to Elon on Saturday, March 18 6-1. The CCU win on the afternoon was by junior Elliott Quibell on the singles court.

It's Been a Good Run

CCU's men's tennis team, previous to the loss to Elon, was on a seven match winning streak. The streak was the longest Coastal has had since the 1994 season when they won 14 matches in a row. Further, the two conference wins this season are already more wins in the Big South for the Chants than in each of the last three years combined.

Junior Simon Taylor has now won 39 matches in his playing career, good for ninth place on Coastal's all-time singles victories list. He only trails James Salmon by eight for eighth all-time at CCU.

Coastal Carolina senior Brian Dowis and sophomore David Mellis are a solid 6-2 on the doubles court as a team this year.

The addition of junior transfer Elliott Quibell has been welcomed as CCU is off to its best start in 12 years. Quibell has a team-best 14 wins on the singles courts this season. Junior teammates Andy Caress and Simon Taylor have been almost as impressive as both are 11-4 on the singles courts.

Coastal Carolina's tennis team was picked seventh in the 2006 Big South's preseason poll. Winthrop is the preseason picked to win the conference. Coastal returns seven letter winners including senior Brian Dowis and junior Simon Taylor to led the team this season.

CCU's Brian Dowis was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All District III Men's at Large First Team in the summer of 2005. Dowis, a mathematics major, had a grade point average of 3.922 and was also named the Big South's Conferences Men's Tennis Scholar Athlete of the Year. He was the sixth Coastal men's tennis player to be named the Scholar-Athlete of the Year and the third in the last four years.

Coastal Carolina tennis team had a successful fall season. Junior Ryan Weisband and sophomore Ryan Vrba each had 4-1 record to lead the team in singles play. In doubles junior Andy Caress had a team-best 7-2 record. The doubles pair of juniors Elliott Quibell and Simon Taylor were crowned as champions of the UNCW/Landfall Invitational.

Coastal Carolina's men's tennis team has a pair of matches next week. The Chants take on Big South Conference rival Charleston Southern at 2 p.m. on Thursday, March 30. Coastal will also play on Sunday, April 2 at 9 a.m. against Mercer.