Pirates Open 2011 Dual-Match Season Versus Liberty
January 26, 2011 | Men's Tennis
Jan. 26, 2011
GREENVILLE, N.C. - The East Carolina men's tennis team will open the 2011 dual-match season Thursday with two matches against Liberty and Bluefield State at the Green Brier Sporting Club in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. The Pirates will take on Liberty at 11 a.m. before facing Bluefield State later in the afternoon.
East Carolina opens the season with six returning letterwinners from its 2010 squad that went 18-8. It was the second consecutive year in which the Pirates recorded 18 victories after winning a school-record 19 matches in 2009.
As a junior last season, Jaroslav Horvath held down the number one spot competing in 21 matches in that position and playing in the number two flight five times. He finished the dual match season with a record of 12-14.
Massimo Mannino and John Schmitt posted the team's top two winning percentages in dual match play as freshmen a year ago. Mannino posted an overall record of 14-8 playing at flights three, four and five. He was 8-1 at the number four position. Schmitt competed at flights three through six, playing the majority of his matches at number five. He recorded a 9-4 mark at flight number five and finished the year with an overall record of 17-8.
Also returning from last year's team are Ely Khoury, Henrik Skalmerud and Stian Tvedt. Skalmerud played the most of the threesome, competing in 23 matches. Khoury participated in just two matches, while Tvedt played in just three.
The match with Liberty is the fifth between the programs, with ECU winning all four previous matches in the series. Last season, the Pirates edged the Flames, 4-3, with each team grabbing three wins in singles and East Carolina taking the doubles point.
