College Tennis News – Guilford Teams Ranked in Preseason ODAC Polls

FOREST, Va. – Guilford College’s men’s and women’s tennis teams were ranked second and 13th, respectively, in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) preseason coaches’ polls released Thursday. Guilford’s men collected 107 points for a second-place ranking, with one first-place vote. Nine-time defending league champion Washington and Lee University topped the survey with nine first-place votes and 121 points. Hampden-Sydney College rounded out the top three with 101 points.

The Quakers finished the 2017-18 season with a 13-5 overall record, 9-1 in the ODAC, and made a run to the conference semifinals. The team returns four students from last year’s squad, including junior Mason Robb and sophomore Elijah Gregory. Robb was a First-Team All-ODAC selection in singles and doubles. He went 15-6 at second singles and 17-5 at second doubles. Gregory earned ODAC Rookie of the Year honors after compiling a 19-5 record at third singles and a 17-6 mark at second doubles. The Quakers will miss four-time All-ODAC first-singles and first-doubles selection Tate Godwin, who transferred after two seasons to a prestigious music conservatory in California. Reigning ODAC Men’s Tennis Coach of the Year Dave McCain will also miss Graham Pearson ’18, completed his final season for the Quakers as a Second Team All-ODAC pick at fourth singles.

Sixteen-time defending champion Washington and Lee secured the top spot in the women’s preseason poll with 12 first-place votes and 144 points. Randolph-Macon is second with 132 points with a lone first-place vote, followed by the University of Lynchburg in third with 107 points. Guilford collected 17 points for 13th place.

The Quakers’ women finished 1-14 overall and 0-11 in the ODAC last season. Key returners this year include senior Makayla McLaurin, who played first-singles last year, classmate Olivia La Ganza, Guilford’s regular at third-singles, and fifth-singles performer Megan Kimpel. This year marks Kim Kleimeier’s ‘13 first season as Guilford’s head coach after serving as an assistant in each of the past three seasons.

Kleimeier’s women open up at league-rival Roanoke College February 15. The men open the following day at Oglethorpe University versus Covenant College in a non-conference match February 16.

2019 ODAC MEN’S TENNIS PRESEASON COACHES’ POLL (1st-place votes in parentheses)
1. Washington and Lee (11) 121
2. Guilford (1) 107
3. Hampden-Sydney 101
4. Virginia Wesleyan 90
5. Bridgewater (Va.) 83
T6. Lynchburg 66
T6. Randolph-Macon 66
8. Roanoke 48
9. Shenandoah 42
10. Randolph 28
11. Ferrum 21
12. Emory & Henry 19

2019 WOMEN’S TENNIS PRESEASON COACHES’ POLL (1st-place votes in parentheses)
1. Washington and Lee (12) 144
2. Randolph-Macon (1) 132
3. Lynchburg 107
4. Virginia Wesleyan 101
5. Roanoke 100
6. Randolph 97
7. Bridgewater 95
8. Sweet Briar 62
9. Emory & Henry 50
10. Hollins 45
11. Shenandoah 37
12. Ferrum 36
13. Guilford 17