DUBUQUE, Iowa – The Loras College men's tennis squad begins their spring campaign on Saturday, Feb. 1 in Mount Vernon, Iowa where they are set to take on the Warriors of Wisconsin Lutheran College at 12:15 p.m. and the hosts, Cornell College at 3:30 p.m.

The Duhawks have high aspirations for this upcoming season and are looking to improve from the 2024 season where they finished sixth in the conference with a 3-5 mark in conference play and 8-14 record overall.

"The team is looking to improve on their 6^th place finish from last year. We qualified for the conference tournament last season, but I know the guys really want to host a first round match," said head coach Cam Long. "My expectations are to continue improving each day. Almost half the team are freshmen, so it is important to learn something new each practice and match."

As far as experience is concerned, there is a core group of four-returning starters, Gage Becker, Sam Canas, Andrew Day, and Lucas Healy. In addition, the team is hopeful for a comeback from senior Kareem Kassas.

"We return four regular starters from last season, Becker, Canas, Day, and Healy. Kassas is also expected to be back from an ACL injury at some point this season. Becker has been an all-conference performer in both singles and doubles play last season."

Long also highlighted a group of six newcomers who are ready to make a mark in their first year as members of the men's tennis team.

"There are six newcomers on the team, all of which are freshmen. Sean Sonoiki comes from Waukee Northwest High School and finished 4^th place in the state of Iowa for doubles and won a team championship. Nick Carney comes from Linn-Mar High School and was on the team that finished 4^th place in Iowa. Jack Seda was a regular starter in the Dowling Catholic High School lineup. Coming from further away, Jackson Craig, Diego Mejias, and Horia Popa are from Virginia, Venezuela, and Romania, respectively."

The first match on Saturday versus Wisconsin Lutheran will be the sixth match between the two squads. The Duhawks hold the 4-1 series advantage and are looking to add to their win streak. The second match of the day against Cornell College will be the 15^th matchup between these two teams with the Rams holding the series advantage 9-5. Loras is looking to snap a one game losing streak against the hosts.

Up Next: Loras will travel to Cedar Rapids, Iowa on Saturday, Feb. 8 to take on the Kohawks of Coe College. The first serve is set for 9:00 a.m.