2013 Men’s Season Outlook A er an exit in the NAIA Quarterfinals last season, there are plenty of reasons to believe that this year’s Auburn Montgomery men’s tennis team can contend for its 10th na onal championship in 2013. The Warhawks return all but one player from a squad which finished last season ranked fi h in the na on, highlighted by SSAC Player and Freshman of the Year, Nicolas Pinones-Haltenhoff. AUM also has two addi ons, senior Tim Hewi and sophomore Othmane Lalami, who enter the year ranked in the top 20 na onally for singles by the Intercollegiate Tennis Associa on. Head Coach Rolando Vargas expects the pair, along with sophomore Miguel Grifol, to provide much needed depth this season. The new players will be suppor ng a group of returners that finished last year 17-8, winning its eighth straight SSAC Championship in the process. Pinones-Haltenhoff led the way for the Warhawks, winning 20 of 24 matches from the No. 1 singles posi on and going 16-2 at No. 2 doubles, playing primarily with Zinelabidine Jouini. He earned NAIA First-Team All-America recogni on for his accomplishments. Entering 2013 as the second-ranked NAIA singles player by the ITA, Vargas hopes for a similar season in Pinones-Haltenhoff ’s sophomore year.
“Nico was outstanding last year,” Vargas said. “Being so young, it’s always difficult to start in the top posi on, but he was ready for the challenge. Hopefully he can keep it up and keep working hard. Having him and Tim gives us a lot of opons at the top of our lineup.” Hewi is a transfer from Auburn
University who prac ced with the Warhawks last season. He partnered with Pinones-Haltenhoff in the fall to win the NAIA na onal championships. The Bournemouth, England, na ve also had a successful fall in singles, finishing second to Pinones-Haltenhoff in regionals. “He definitely knows what it takes to play at the college level,” Vargas said. “Having him on the team has just been tremendous because he is a good leader. He works hard, and his energy spreads to the rest of the team. He’s going to be a great addi on to our team this season.” A er the top two posi ons, there appears to be an open ba le for the other spots in the star ng lineup. Lalami, a sophomore from Casablanca, Morocco, who also prac ced with AUM last year, is coming off a semifinal performance in regionals during the fall, losing in three tough sets to Pinones-Haltenhoff. “Othmane played really well in the fall,” Vargas said. “At regionals, you could tell from the look in his eye that he wanted to show the team what he was made of. It’s going to be interes ng to see how he develops. If he plays the way he did in the fall, he could certainly earn the three or four posi on.” Lalami will likely play with Jouini in doubles a er the pair advanced to the finals of regionals in the fall. A junior, Jouini was 22-3 in singles last year (primarily at No. 5) and 18-7 overall in doubles, earning first-team all-conference honors. “Zino was great for us last year,” Vargas said. “He had the most singles victories on the team. He will definitely be compe ng for a spot in the middle of the lineup.” Senior Bence Toth, a secondteam NAIA All-American last year, will be another contender for the No. 3 posi on. The Budapest, Hungary, na ve was 15-8 in singles, including a 14-8 mark at No. 2 singles, and he is the only player remaining from AUM’s 2010 na onal championship winning team. “Bence has all the experience,” Vargas said. “He’s played in the top posi ons for us the past few years, and he’s had a lot of success. I think he has a bit of an edge for the third spot because of his experience.” Grifol, AUM’s third addi on this year, will also compete for playing
me, along with Josh Reason (who earned NAIA All-American honorable men on in 2012) and Ma as Dasso. “Miguel is a good young player who will be ready to play in the spring,” Vargas said of Grifol. “He’s a top player from Argen na who has a lot of skill.” Reason went 15-8 from the No.
3 singles posi on last year for the Warhawks, and also saw extensive ac on at No. 1 doubles. “Josh showed a lot of confidence, and was able to step up for us last year a er not having a lot of experience,” Vargas said. “He had a great run, and will certainly be important to our success this year.” Dasso played primarily at No. 6 singles and No. 3 doubles in 2012, earning second-team all-conference honors for his performance. “Ma as has definitely shown improvement, and he was a valuable player for our success last season,” Vargas said. “I think he’s only going to get be er.” Vargas expects his team’s depth to be a benefit throughout the season, with the compe veness for posi ons in the star ng lineup leading players to bring their best to each prac ce. With such an abundance of talent, hopes are high for a return to the na onal championship finals for the first me in three years. “My first two years here, we finished third and fi h in the na on,” Vargas said. “We always want to improve from last year, and this is the strongest team I’ve coached at AUM. If the players work hard, and stay commi ed to the team, we should definitely be in a posi on to win a tle.”
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