UMass Dartmouth returns four starters as Corsairs eye sixth straight men's LEC title

(Dartmouth, MA) - With four Little East Conference champions returning to the starting lineup, UMass Dartmouth men's tennis coach Warren Preti thinks his Corsairs will be up for the challenge of defending their LEC men's tennis championship. Preti and his Corsairs have had virtual lock on the LEC men's title, winning the last five consecutive titles dating back to 1996.

For Preti, the former UMass Dartmouth women's coach as well, his consecutive LEC championship streak reached eight straight last season when the Corsairs took four singles wins and a pair of doubles matches to clinch the 2000 LEC men's title.

Leading the Corsairs into the 2001 season will be four returning veterans from last season, including senior Jim Green (Harwich, MA), juniors Tim Warren (Fall River, MA) and Jason Warren (Fall River, MA), along with sophomore Trevor Cabral (Dartmouth, MA).

"We have a solid nucleus of returning players coupled with a strong group of newcomers, who should make this a team very competitive," said Preti as he enters his 12th season as the Corsairs' men's tennis coach.

A three-year veteran with the Corsairs, Green was the LEC #2 singles champion last season, his second LEC title of his career (#3 singles in '99) and was a runner up at #1 doubles title. He has a 15-6 career record in singles and will be in the hunt for UMass Dartmouth's #1 singles position this season.

In his second season with the Corsairs, Trevor Cabral has already captured an LEC title at #3 singles last season and was a runner-up with Green at #1 doubles. Cabral posted a 6-2 record at singles in his first season, the Corsairs' top winning percentage during the 2000 season.

Tim Warren is in his third season with UMass Dartmouth and enters his junior season as the LEC defending champion at both #5 singles and #3 doubles. He posted an 8-3 mark in singles last season and is 10-3 in his career with the Corsairs.

Jason Warren is the younger of the two Warren brothers and enters his second year with UMass Dartmouth as an LEC titleholder in doubles. As a freshman last year, Jason Warren was the #6 singles and #3 doubles LEC champion.

In addition to his four returning starters, Preti has added several talented newcomers to the program, players who Preti expects will bring more competition for starting position. Among the additions to the roster for the 2001 season are senior Markus Mentz (Stuttgart, GER), a transfer student from Germany, along with junior Chris Lumping (Falmouth, MA), a transfer from Princeton and freshman Todd Cabral (Dartmouth, MA).

"This is the best group of new players I've seen since 1995," said Preti.

According to Preti, the battle for #1 singles could come down to pre-season competition between Green, Todd Cabral, Lumping and Mentz. The Warren brothers plus Trevor Cabral will battle rookies Dan Cohen (Chelmsford, MA), Dave Purpura (Middleboro, MA), Brendon Bowers (Somerset, MA) and Andrew Cotrill (New Bedford, MA) for the remaining singles positions.

Preti will have to come up with some new doubles combinations for the 2001 season. Green and Trevor Cabral are the only intact returning doubles team from last season. In eight doubles matches as a team in the 2000 season, the Green-Trevor Cabral combination posted a 5-3 record.

Rounding out the Corsairs' roster for the 2001 season are returning veterans seniors Chris Lafratta (Revere, MA) and Derrick Rheaume (West Yarmouth, MA), who will contend for one of the three doubles slots.

UMass Dartmouth will open the 2001 season on March 29 with a match at UMass Boston before returning to campus for the home opener against Western Connecticut State University on March 31. The Corsairs have a 15-match schedule leading up to the annual LEC Championships at Rhode Island College on May 5-6.