Mobile, Alabama - Four members of the Trinity
University Tigers men's and women's tennis teams begin play
Wednesday at the USTA/Intercollegiate Tennis Association National
Small College Championships at the Copeland-Cox Tennis Center.
Senior Max Frey (Tulsa, Okla./Holland Hall) will represent the
Tigers in Division III men's singles. Frey and junior Erick
DelaFuente (El Paso, Texas/Coronado) will compete in
doubles.
First-year player Mackenzie Knoop (Albuquerque, N.M./Albuquerque
Academy) is Trinity's entry in women's singles. Knoop and
first-year Tiger Stephanie Williamson (Katy, Texas/Taylor) are
paired in the doubles event.
All players earned berths by winning the Southwest Regional
Championships in their respective events.
The Tigers will compete in play-in matches against Whitman
(Wash.) entries Wednesday at 10 a.m., for the right to enter the
main draw, which begins Thursday.
Frey takes on Andrew La Cava in singles. If he wins, Frey will
become the tournament's No. 2 seed in the main draw. Frey and
DelaFuente meet Conor Holton-Burke and Matt Tesmond in doubles, at
approximately noon.
Knoop is matched against Alyssa Roberg in the play-in singles
match. Knoop and Williamson will play Roberg and Courtney Lawless
in doubles, at about noon.
The Division III singles and doubles matches will be held
Thursday-Saturday. The winners of the NCAA Divisions II and III,
NAIA, and Junior/Community College events will advance to Sunday's
"Super Bowl," which will crown the overall champions.
Last year, Trinity graduates Cory Kowal and Bobby Cocanougher
won the Division III men's doubles title. This marks the second
straight time the Tiger men will have singles and doubles
representatives at the national tournament.
Frey first competed in the National Small College Championships
as a singles player in 2008. Last May, Frey advanced to the NCAA
Division III singles semifinals. DelaFuente made the trip to Mobile
in 2009, as both were regional singles champions.
Trinity's men's and women's teams are led by head Coach Russell
McMindes, and the assistant for both squads is Jacob McMindes.
