PAC Releases Men's Tennis Preseason Coaches' Poll

March 2 – GREENVILLE, Pa. – The Bethany College men's tennis team was selected eighth in the 2016 Presidents' Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, announced the PAC on Wednesday afternoon.

The Green & White, who earned a seventh-place finish at the PAC Championships one year ago, earned 23 total points in the coaches' poll, placing them 11 points ahead of ninth-place Thiel College.

The preseason favorite in the coaches' poll was defending PAC Champion Grove City College, who earned seven first-place votes and 79 total points. Washington & Jefferson was selected second, followed by Saint Vincent, Waynesburg and Thomas More.

Westminster College and Geneva College were selected just ahead of the Bison, who posted five wins a season ago.

Along with the preseason poll, a list of "Players to Watch" for the 2016 season was released. Among the players named to the list were Bison senior Kyle Booker (Forest Park, Ga./Forest Park) and junior Marcus Hooks (Stamford, Conn./Brien McMahon).

Booker competed at No. 4 singles and No. 2 doubles for the second-consecutive year in 2015, finishing second on the team in total singles wins (9). Booker posted a 4-3 record against conference opponents last season, and earned a fourth-place finish at the PAC Championships.

Hooks, who has tallied 11 singles wins in his first two seasons with the Green & White, posting a 5-9 record at No. 6 singles last season. He also finished the season with four victories in doubles action.

The Bison will open the 2016 season on Wednesday, March 16, as they travel to Washington, Pa. for a conference matchup with Washington & Jefferson. The match with the Presidents is scheduled for a 3:30 p.m. start.