MONMOUTH, Ill. — Although coach Dennis Mann’s men’s tennis team is yet to post a dual meet victory this season, he can take comfort in the fact that things are only going to get better as the Fighting Scots make their return to varsity tennis after a 10-year layoff.

Improvements will soon be present on several fronts, starting with the weather. Mann’s squad, which is 0-2 after falling 5-2 to Concordia-River Forest and 7-0 to Augustana College, figures to be able to spend more and more time on the tremendous courts at the new MC Tennis Stadium and less time hitting off the walls at the gym.

Another improvement will come next season, when the Scots will be able to count on the four indoor courts at the new Huff Athletic Center when the weather outside is frightful.

“Next year, I think we’ll see tremendous improvement because we’ll be able to play throughout the year,” said Mann. “Our facilities are really going to be our strong suit. We’re going to have a better setup for tennis than most of the teams we play.”

Practice helps any tennis player, but Monmouth’s figure to get the most benefit, as several members of the team have not played competitive tennis in two or three years.

“Some of these guys are frustrated that their game is not where they want it to be, but you just can’t take the type of layoff that some of these guys have and expect your game to be at the level it was,” said Mann. “It just doesn’t happen. A lot of these guys are solid, mature players, which is great, but there’s a lot of rust in their game.”

Mann was impressed by the effort he received at Augustana from his No. 1 player, Lance Everhart, who won four games off a very talented foe. Everhart is a junior, and he hasn’t played varsity tennis since his senior season at Morton High School.

Other regular lineup members who have had at least a year off are sophomore Dan Schultz at No. 2 singles, junior Gabriel Trandafir-Demeter at No. 5 and sophomore Ron Bronson, who is battling freshman Jerry Campion for the No. 6 spot. Other team members include No. 3 singles player Scott Flynn and No. 4 player Matt Stubbs, who are both freshmen, junior Ty Glaser and sophomores Alex Hernandez and Phil Johnson.

Something else that will improve, said Mann, is the schedule.

“Right now, it’s tough on these guys, because we’re playing about the toughest teams we can play,” he said.

While top Midwestern programs such as Quincy and Lewis dominate the first part of the season, the Fighting Scots will almost exclusively play Midwest Conference teams and play them at home, starting on April 11. The exceptions are an April 13 road date at Eureka and the MWC Championship Tournament, which will be held in Madison, Wis., on April 25-27.

At the latter event, the Scots’ singles players are guaranteed to see action on April 26, but Monmouth must finish first or second in the MWC South Division to qualify for the team competition on April 25. Mann predicts that Grinnell and Knox will represent the South in 2003.

“We can be in good position in the division in another year,” he said.

With all the improvements that should be coming Monmouth’s way, including an increased presence on the recruiting scene as high school seniors learn that tennis is back at Monmouth College, victories should be just around the corner for the Fighting Scots.