SUMTER, S.C. – The No. 21 Queens University of Charlotte men's tennis team are set to begin their postseason journey tomorrow in the South Atlantic Conference Quarterfinals at the Palmetto Tennis Center in Sumter, S.C. The top seeded men will open the morning with a match against No. 8 seeded Limestone at 9:00 a.m. The winner will advance to face either No. 4 seeded Lenoir-Rhyne or No. 5 seeded Tusculum on Friday, April 22 at 9:00 a.m.
The Royals secured the top overall seed in the tournament following a 12-4 regular season, and 11-1 mark in conference play. The Royals claimed their fourth regular season title in program history, and third South Atlantic Conference regular season title. Queens enters the tournament on an eight-game winning streak, including victories over ITA ranked No. 34 Wingate, No. 33 Tusculum, No. 23 Carson-Newman, and No. 37 Lenoir-Rhyne.
The Royals have been led all season by the Conference Player of the Year,
Edoardo Bottino. The two-time player of the week is ranked No. 30 in the latest ITA National Singles rankings holding a 15-3 overall record against DII competition in the fall and spring. The Genoa, Italy native was 10-1 on the top court in conference play. In doubles action, Bottino was 18-1 in DII competition and 11-0 in conference play ranking as No. 41 in the ITA Doubles rankings.
Fellow doubles teammate,
Edoardo Cecere has also been a pivotal piece to the Royals success. A First Team Singles and Doubles player, Cecere is 9-3 overall in singles against DII opponents, including a perfect 7-0 record at No. 2 in conference play. The Italy native earned All-Conference Doubles honors with fellow Italian
Edoardo Bottino.
Freshman
Win Steveker has provided a huge spark for the Royals this season. The rookie earned Third Team Singles and Doubles honors after going 11-4 against DII competition in singles play. The No. 68 ranked player by the ITA, Steveker was 7-4 between the No. 2/3 singles courts in conference play. Steveker paired with senior
Yoan Roussinov to land Third Team Doubles honors going 6-1 from the No. 2 court in conference play.
Laurenz Blickwede, Bern Enc, and
Jan Malmon have also put together fantastic seasons for the Royals combining for a 22-8 mark against conference opponents.
Fans can follow the results live by visiting the official tournament
website. Be sure to follow the Royals on Instagram @QueensTennis to stay up to date on the Royals during postseason play. Fans are also encouraged to follow Queens Athletics on Twitter and Instagram @Queens_Athletics to stay up to date on all the latest news and updates surrounding the Royals.
