Sept. 4, 2008
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State men's tennis team named its two captains for the 2008-09 season. Seniors Brendan Lynch (North Potomac, Md.) and Adam Slagter (Austin, Texas) will lead the Nittany Lions as the team looks to earn its fourth consecutive bid into the NCAA Tournament.
"We are very excited to have Brendan and Adam as our captains this year," said head coach Todd Doebler. "We feel very confident that they will lead us to another successful season on and off the court."
Last season, Lynch posted a career-best 27 singles victories and earned a No. 12 ranking in the final ITA Northeast Region singles poll. In addition to his stellar play in singles, Lynch posted a 17-5 doubles record, primarily teaming up with Michael James. The pair last season finished No. 33 in the ITA doubles rankings, peaking at one point to No. 14 on April 13. Lynch also added 2007-08 Academic All-Big Ten honors to his resume.
Slagter finished last spring with an 11-8 singles record, including a 6-3 mark versus Big Ten opponents. In singles action, the senior was fifth in the ITA Northeast Regional Rankings. Slagter was also a 2007-08 Academic All-Big Ten winner.
The Nittany Lions are looking to build upon last season, as they earned their third-straight NCAA Tournament appearance. Penn State notched its first NCAA Tournament victory in the modern era over No. 27 Virginia Commonwealth, 4-0 in the first round last May. They also earned a first-place ranking in the ITA Northeast region and a No. 39 ITA national ranking.
Penn State opens up the 2008 fall season by hosting the PSU Fall Classic, which will take place Sept. 12-14. The Nittany Lions will host Alabama, N.C. State, Pepperdine and Princeton.