USI Tennis Team Ranked 37th In Preseason Poll
The University of Southern Indiana men’s tennis team is ranked for the fifth consecutive preseason, coming in at 37th in the first Intercollegiate Tennis Association poll of the year.
In 2015-16, the Screaming Eagles were 17-6 overall, including 5-1 in the GLVC. They finished second in the GLVC tournament falling to the University of Indianapolis in the championship match. The Eagles advanced to the NCAA II Tournament, bowing out in the opening round.
USI returns six players from a year ago, including sophomore James Hardiman (Backwell Bristol, United Kingdom), who is ranked 43rd in the ITA national singles rankings. Hardiman was 16-5 in singles play last season, while also going 20-3 in doubles.
Regionally, three Eagles are ranked in singles as Hardiman is fourth, with junior Samuel Kiladejo (London, England) ranked 14th and freshman Denis Davydov (Chorvatsky Grob, Slovakia) 18th. The duo of Kiladejo and Davydov is ranked ninth regionally in doubles.
Also returning for USI is senior Aaron Barris (Marietta, Georgia). Barris was 14-3 in singles play last year and 21-4 in doubles.
The Eagles begin the spring portion of their schedule on February 3 when they host Indiana University Southeast at the Evansville Tennis Center. USI begins GLVC play on March 25 when they travel to the University of Illinois Springfield.
