Men's Tennis Begins Season in Corpus Christi

The Abilene Christian men's tennis program opens its 2024 fall schedule at the Jake Frederick Memorial Islander Open in Corpus Christi this weekend.

The event runs from Friday-Sunday with play beginning at 9 a.m. each day. ACU will compete against Rice, UTSA, UT-Arlington, UIW, Lamar, UTRGV, and the host Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

"It should be a really good tournament. Lots of teams and players that should be right at our level," head coach Juan Nunez said.

The Wildcats' roster boasts six returning players and four newcomers. Seven of the ten players are freshmen or sophomores, but Nunez sees the amount of underclassmen as a positive.

"It's our new generational change. We had that four or five years ago when I took over," said Nunez. "It's pretty exciting because we still have seniors Daniel Morozov and Benjamin McDonald. Junior Ethan Scribner is now starting to be one of those older guys. You have enough leadership and experience, and then you have all the energy and freshness from the younger guys. It's a good mix."

One of ACU's six returners is Martin Delnido who was voted the WAC Freshman of the Year in the spring.

"Anytime you can get that award is always a good foundation. [Martin] is a machine for us. His energy and intensity level on the court is always high. Now we have Tomas Tischner, who is also from Argentina. I wouldn't be surprised if he's one that could get that same award at the end of the year. They have a similar type of motor and intensity."

Historically the fall individual season has been seen as a way to formulate line-ups, and figure out what will work best for the team season in the spring when conference and national championships are held.

But, this is the first year of a two-year pilot program for the NCAA Fall Championships for singles and doubles. ACU is hosting the first-ever WAC Fall Invitational which will determine the conference's automatic qualifiers to the NCAA Tournament.

RELATED: ACU Picked to Host Two WAC Championships This Fall

Nunez says the new individual championships have changed their approach to the fall season and added some urgency. 

"Now you're not trying to figure out your most balanced three doubles teams for the spring. You're really trying to find your best doubles team in the next month and a half to give yourself a better chance to represent the university at the national tournament," said Nunez.

"You're trying to make a case for yourself from the very beginning. It adds a sense of competitiveness immediately."

You can follow the Jake Frederick Memorial Islander Open on the tournament's page.