WAC 3-peat chase bolstered by 3 returnees

When Grand Canyon men's tennis needs to envision what it takes to win a WAC championship and go to the NCAA tournament, the Lopes can just look around the GCU Tennis Facility.

Three of the points that the Lopes claimed in that WAC Championship victory came from singles wins by players who will take the court when GCU's spring season opens Friday at Arizona State and continues Sunday at Arizona.

Junior Mariano Argote (6-3, 7-5 at No. 2), sophomore Jiri Novak (7-6, 6-2 at No. 5) and graduate Freddie Grant (6-4, 7-6 at No. 6) showed medalists' mettle to take down New Mexico State on its home court. The trio gets the chance to apply to the quest for a three-peat, which projects to have the Lopes and Aggies at the top of an expanded conference.

The returnees, including sophomore Loic Van Zeggelaar, know how a conference champion can be built within the season. GCU was 1-12 last season before rattling off seven consecutive regular-season and tournament wins in conference play.

Argote was a huge part of that, winning his final four matches at Nos. 2 and 3 singles and has earned the larger role as captain this season. Head coach Greg Prudhomme does not automatically name a team captain annually. The title must be fitting and earned.

"He's made a lot of improvement on the team as a player and as a teammate with his mental game and his leadership," Prudhomme said of Argote, a La Quinta, California, native. "He's working real hard. He's a heck of a competitor."

Grant, a native of England, ended the season even hotter with seven consecutive singles victories. Going from one singles win in 2019-20 to nine in 2020-21, Grant went undefeated in WAC singles and doubles play to be all-conference first team for both categories.

"Steady Freddie," Prudhomme said of his only player who was on both of the past two WAC title teams. "He's playing his best tennis."

Novak, a native of Czech Republic, also was named to the All-WAC first team for doubles after playing at No. 1 last season.

"Jiri is a super-skilled player and he's more mature this year," Prudhomme said. "He played No. 1 doubles as a freshman, which ain't easy, with Val (Valentin Lang) and did a heck of a job. He's going to be playing high in singles."

Van Zeggelaar figures into the top six after the Frenchman played No. 3 doubles with Grant last season.

"He's what you hope you get in sophomores when you see that big jump when they come back," Prudhomme said. "He's mature. He's a hard worker. He's coachable. And he bleeds purple through and through. He really loves it here."

Sophomore Stanislas de Samucewicz of France and walk-on sophomores Oliver Boleratzky and Wyatt Anderson also returns, but the roster has been bolstered by midseason additions.

Freshman Martim Marujo of Portugal and sophomore Adrien Coulome of France figure to have instant impacts with only two weeks of practice on campus, as the Lopes also have been strengthened by Ottawa transfer Grzegorz Rudnicki of Poland.

"I think Martin and Adrien are going to see a lot of starting time right out of the gate," Prudhomme said. "they seem like good guys. They've blended in with the team quick. They've only been practicing for two weeks. Those guys are looking like they'll round out the top six."

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Players Mentioned

Wyatt Anderson

Mariano Argote

Oliver Boleratzky

Adrien Coulome

Freddie Grant

Valentin Lang

Martim Marujo

Jiri Novak

Grzegorz Rudnicki

Loic Van Zeggelaar

Grand Canyon University Athletics