Two Lions Earn Preseason All-SAC Honors

ROCK HILL, S.C.-The Mars Hill men's tennis team was picked to finish seventh in the South Atlantic Conference by the league's coaches in a poll that was released Thursday. Two Lions were named to the preseason all-conference team.

The Lions received 33 points in the poll. Last season, Mars Hill finished with an 8-10 overall record and placed seventh in the SAC with a 4-5 conference record. Lucas Simm and Euquerio Guerrero were each named 2013 SAC Preseason All-Conference, earning First Team Singles recognition. The duo was also named second-team all-conference as a doubles pairing. This season will be the Lions' first under new head coach John Hunter.

Simm earned Second Team All-SAC Singles honors last season. The senior finished 7-2 in conference singles play, and finished the season on a three-match win streak. He finished 10-6 overall in singles matches.

Guerrero also earned Second Team All-SAC Singles honors last season. In his freshman campaign, Guerreo went 6-3 in conference singles play and 10-5 overall.

The duo is expected to team up as the Lions number one doubles pairing this season. Guerrero and Simm played together in seven matches last season, compiling a 3-4 record- all of those in the number one doubles court.

The Lions also return senior Zach High and sophomore Michael Melvill from last year's squad. The team has added freshman newcomers Sam Lee and Joel Sturgis to their roster for this season.

Mars Hill opens its season this Saturday, Feb. 2 when they host Lander in non-conference action at 1:00 p.m. on the Hart Tennis Center courts. The Lions open conference play on Friday, Feb. 22 when they host Catawba at 2:00 p.m.

Wingate has been picked by SAC coaches to repeat as league champions. The Bulldogs are undefeated in SAC matches the past two seasons and advanced to the Southeast Regional final of the 2012 NCAA Division II Tennis Championship last season. Wingate received seven first-place votes in the poll.

Anderson was the lone other school to garner first-place votes with three. The Trojans finished second in the SAC standings last season with an 8-1 conference record.

The complete preseason poll and all-conference teams are listed below.

2013 SAC Preseason Men's Tennis Poll

Place. Team, points (first-place votes)
1. Wingate, 79 (7)
2. Anderson, 75 (3)
3. Lincoln Memorial, 64
4. Newberry, 49
Tusculum, 49
6. Catawba, 40
7. Mars Hill, 33
8. Carson-Newman, 30
9. Brevard, 20
10. Lenoir-Rhyne, 10

2013 SAC Men's Tennis Preseason All-Conference Team
Name(s), School

First Team
Singles
Phillip Hoffman, Lincoln Memorial
Michael Saunders, Newberry
Lukas Winkelmann, Tusculum
Lucas Simm, Mars Hill
Euquerio Guerrero, Mars Hill
Vinicius Botelho, Newberry

Doubles
Michael Sanders/Vinicius Botelho, Newberry
Marcelo Alvim/Will Sparks, Lincoln Memorial
Cal Loveridge/Carlos Nicolopulos, Newberry

Second Team
Singles
Neal Towlson, Wingate
Marcelo Alvim, Lincoln Memorial
Alexey Minevskiy, Lincoln Memorial
Daniel Gonzales, Anderson
Krystoff Gulbinovic, Anderson
David Richardson, Lenoir-Rhyne

Doubles
Euquerio Guerrero/Lucas Simm, Mars Hill
Paul Birdsong/Derek Hoidway, Carson-Newman
Alex MacDonald/Matthew Nicholson, Catawba