Keyed by three new faces, MC tennis team off to 2-0 start

Release Date: February 15, 2005

MONMOUTH, Ill. — As Monmouth College men’s tennis coach Chad Braun was being interviewed about his team’s outlook for the 2005 season, head football coach Steve Bell wandered by and said, “Conference champs is what I heard.”

“Let’s not get that crazy,” replied Braun, who prowls the sidelines alongside Bell every autumn. “We’ve still got a long way to go.”

But thanks to the fact that Braun recruits just as well for his tennis team as he does for MC’s football squad, the Scots’ netters have already come a long way.

Case in point, Saturday’s season opener at Wartburg College on Saturday. A year ago, the Knights administered a 7-0 defeat, but the Fighting Scots were able to avenge that loss with a 4-3 triumph. Monmouth also blanked Buena Vista University while in Waverly, Iowa, so the Scots are 2-0 on the season.

Two freshmen and a transfer have assumed the No. 1-3 singles slots, and all three went 2-0 in Monmouth’s opening action. That included an impressive MC debut for transfer Jared Kunkle (Dunlap).

“Jared’s just a marquee player,” said Braun. “He’s got very powerful strokes, and his strength is that he’s so consistent. He really doesn’t have a lot of weaknesses. He was a great doubles player in high school, but I’ve been very impressed with his singles. He’ll have a shot to win every match he’s in, and I think he’ll have a great shot at a top four seed in the conference.”

Kunkle was also 2-0 in doubles on Saturday, teamed with MC’s No. 2 singles player, freshman Kevin Kamenjarin (Marist). Kamenjarin came through with a tough 7-5, 7-5 victory over his Wartburg foe to help Monmouth to its narrow victory.

“He’s playing really solid,” said Braun. “Kevin’s trademark is his wicked forehand. He’s also solid at the net.”

Speaking of narrow victories, freshman Matt Moser (Maine West) came through in the most clutch situation in college tennis. With the overall match tied 3-3, he and his opponent at No. 3 singles were the last players on the court. Braun said that Moser “chunked” a volley that would have won the first set tiebreaker, but he showed great poise to come back and take the next two points to win the tiebreaker 8-6. He then rallied from a 4-1 second-set deficit to close out an impressive 7-6 (8-6), 7-5 victory.

“He came up huge for us,” said Braun. “He was probably the most nervous kid on the team before the match, but he really settled down and showed great character and determination.”

Monmouth’s No. 3-6 spots were filled by sophomores Greg Bouslog (Princeton) and Alex Carter (Wilton) and junior Jimmy Jordan (Limestone) on Saturday. Braun feels that sophomore Thomas Moore (Jacksonville) will join that trio of closely talented players to give him tough lineup decisions each and every match.

Moore and Carter were in interesting places last year. On Monmouth’s 7-15 squad, Moore was the leading singles player, posting a 12-10 record. Carter, meanwhile, beat a lot of his opposition, too, but it was in gym class.

“I had Alex in tennis class,” said Braun. “I thought he’d played his whole life, but he was really just learning. I thought he had some potential, so we had him practice with the team, and he even played one singles match for us (which he won). Now he’s in the lineup.”

At Wartburg, Moser and Bouslog played No. 2 doubles, while sophomore Brian Jordan (Limestone) played at No. 3, once with freshman Dan Schroeder (Marist) and once with junior Scott Flynn (Willowbrook).

Rounding out the Scots’ roster this year are freshmen Jesse Barlow (Arab Emirates) and Matt Faron (Plainfield).

Monmouth has already avenged one of its 15 losses from last season, but Braun doesn’t expect the Scots to run the table.

“We play an hellacious schedule,” he said. “We’ve got Central and Nebraska Wesleyan next weekend, and they’ll both be tough, and we also play scholarship schools like St. Francis, Quincy and St. Ambrose.”

St. Francis will be the opponent for Monmouth’s home opener on Feb. 26 at 10 a.m. The Scots won’t be taking a Florida trip during spring break, but they will play five matches, including home dates with the University of Dubuque and Ripon College. The season runs through the Midwest Conference Championships April 29-May 1 in Madison, Wis.

“Our goal is to get into the (MWC) team championships,” Braun concluded. “To do that, we have to be in the top two in the South (Division).”

Grinnell is always tough in the South, but the Scots can get where they want to be by defeating Lake Forest, Knox and Illinois College.

The Scots would have to avenge 2004 losses to the Foresters and Prairie Fire in the process, but that’s a task that Monmouth’s new-look team just might be ready to tackle.

Men's Tennis Homepage