May 11, 2010

Season Recap
The Michigan State men's tennis team concluded the 2009-10 season with an overall record of 13-14. The Spartans went 1-9 in the Big Ten, 13-8 at home and struggled on the road, posting a 0-6 record. MSU fell to ten nationally ranked teams, nine of which were conference opponents. The Spartans lone conference win came over Purdue when MSU posted a final score of 5-2.

Home Court Advantage
Thirteen of the fifteen matches prior to Big Ten play were played in East Lansing. The Spartans went 11-4 during that span, dropping only two of the four matches at home. The two home losses came at the hands of Cleveland State (4-3) and Nebraska (6-1) while the remaining two came from William & Mary (6-1) and No. 41 Notre Dame (6-1). "We dropped those four matches in the first two months," said Orlando. "We had a good start but those matches proved that there were no guarantees."

Heartbreak Loss
The Spartans hit a bump in the road when they dropped a close 4-3 decision to Cleveland State. Prior to the loss, the Spartans had won seven in a row against the Vikings. MSU still leads the all-time series, 7-1. "The loss to CSU was a heartbreaker," Orlando said. "It came down to Ronnie (Hulewicz) at the No. 1 spot and he was playing a senior. Losses like those go to show that you can't take anything for granted. It was definitely a loss that ate at us and pushed us the rest of the season."

In-State Rivalry
The win over Western Michigan could not have come at a better time for the Green and White as it broke a seven-match losing slump.

The Spartan doubles tandems of sophomore Austin Brooks (Houston, Texas) and junior Clark Richardson (Leawood, Kan.), at the No.1 spot, and senior Joe Vallee (Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich.) and junior John Stratton (Monroeville, N.J.), at the No. 2 spot, obtained the doubles point over the Broncos with a pair of wins for MSU.

The remaining three points came from sophomore Ronnie Hulewicz (Tequesta, Fla.), freshman Denis Bogatov (Gurnee, Ill.) and junior John Stratton (Monroeville, N.J.) at the No. 1 spot, No. 3 spot and the No. 4 spot, respectively. Hulewicz battled for the win at No. 1 singles to defeat Michael Calderone, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2. Bogatov posted a win over Pablo Olivarez, 7-5, 6-3, at the No. 3 spot, while Stratton dominated at the No. 4 position with a victory over Casey Cullen, 6-3, 6-2.

"We really needed that win over Western Michigan," said Orlando of the close victory. "That's been an ongoing rivalry but we put ourselves in the position to win. It gave us some momentum heading into the Purdue match."

Big Ten Win
While the Spartans struggled in conference play, compiling a 1-9 record, the dominating 5-2 win over Purdue proved to be a bright spot.

"We knew we would struggle in the Big Ten, but we felt like we had a chance going into this match," said Orlando. "We had the legit shot this year to win because the guys worked hard and they were focused leading up to the match."

All five points were posted in singles action at all positions but the No. 4 spot. Sophomore Ronnie Hulewicz (Tequesta, Fla.) dominated at No. 1 singles over Slavko Bijelica, 6-1, 6-0, while sophomore Austin Brooks (Houston, Texas) won in similar fashion over P.J. Rose, 6-2, 6-3, at No. 2 singles. Freshman Denis Bogatov (Gurnee, Ill.) outlasted Branko Kuzmanovic at No. 3 singles in what was the closest match of the day, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (3). Senior Joe Vallee (Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich.) posted a win at No. 5 singles over Paul Foley, 6-3, 6-4, while junior Clark Richardson (Leawood, Kan.) finished the match off with a victory over Thomas Wilson, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (6), at No. 6 singles.

Sophomore Standout
Sophomore Ronnie Hulewicz (Tequesta, Fla.) was a key staple in the Green and White's lineup, playing at the No. 1 spot.

"Ronnie mad a huge jump from No. 5 singles last year to No. 1 this year," said Orlando. "He put a lot of time in during the summer and really developed his serve and forehand, and his transition to the net. He seemed able to raise his game against the tougher competition."

Hulewicz posted the most overall wins, compiling a 23-15 record. In dual play, he posted the second most wins on the team with a 14-12 record. Hulewicz picked up three Big Ten wins, and at the No. 1 position alone he posted 11 wins. He also tallied a 3-1 mark at No. 2 singles. Hulewicz posted the lone point for the Spartans in their 6-1 loss to Northwestern.

"During the Penn State match, especially, he put himself in there to win it," said Orlando. "Losses like that are always tough, but he can draw on that experience and know what to do in that situation the next time it happens. He really can walk away from this season knowing that he was in almost every singles match. He truly can compete at the No. 1 spot."

Award Winners
Three awards were given out at the conclusion of the 2009-10 season. This year, freshman Denis Bogatov (Gurnee, Ill.) received the Most Valuable Player Award, junior John Stratton (Monroeville, N.J.) was named the Most Improved Player and junior Clark Richardson (Leawood, Kan.) was awarded the Spartan Spirit Award.

"Denis had a great freshman year," said Orlando. "He not only exceeded our expectations, but he exceeded his own as well. He was able to make improvements in the fall, develop in the early spring and really compete in the Big Ten."

Bogatov finished with an overall record of 22-13 in singles play, compiling the second most wins on the team. He posted the second most wins in dual play with a 17-8 record and had the best Big Ten record of 5-5. He played the majority of the time at the No. 3 spot where he went 16-3.

Stratton went 18-13 overall, picking up five wins at both the No. 4 and No. 5 singles positions. He went 11-9 in dual play and also picked up one win at the No. 3 spot to claim the Most Improved Player Award.

"John made great strides with his game this year," said Orlando. "This was his first year as a full-time lineup player and he unfortunately faced an injury during the year, but he only improved as the season went on."

The Spartan Spirit Award goes to the individual who demonstrates motivation and leadership. Richardson was just the person according to Orlando.

"Clark brought great energy every single day whether it was at practice, the weight room or game time," said Orlando. "He always tried to keep spirits high whether he was playing or not and that's important."

Leaving Big Shoes to Fill
The 2009-10 season concluded the collegiate careers for seniors Brendan Kinkopf (Cleveland, Ohio) and Joe Vallee (Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich.).

Kinkopf was the only four-year Spartan on this year's team, making him a key part of their success.

"Brendan had a great career," said Orlando. "He contributed wherever he could, and although he was plagued with injuries that prohibited from a lot of playtime, he was a major part of this team."

Vallee transferred from Ball State and contributed greatly in the little time he played for the Green and White. Vallee went 4-4 in dual play and impressed after he posted the lone point in the Spartans 6-1 loss to Nebraska.

"Joe did a lot for us in a short period of time here," said Orlando. "Taking a one-year player can be risky, but he proved he was a great player and a true Spartan that made a big difference."

Prepare to Prove
"Prepare to prove" was the motto for the 2009-10 men's tennis team according to Orlando. Through this season's actions, the future for this tennis team looks extremely bright. With the loss of only two seniors and the youth of the team, in addition to new recruits, the Spartans are headed in the right direction. Between No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 singles, 10 wins were earned in Big Ten play, as opposed to the four wins between the three positions during the 2008-09 season. All 10 wins were posted by returning Spartans.

"Freshmen and sophomores posted the wins in the top of the lineup," said Orlando. "With their growth, we will be able to compete in conference play. We are going to be more competitive and we are looking to make notes. The Big Ten is tough and next year will be another step forward for our program with the young kids that are maturing. We can get the rotation going now and we will make a run."

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