With a talented group of returning players, the University at Buffalo Men's tennis team will open the 2004-2005 season this weekend at the UB/St.Bonaventure Classic Tournament at the UB Tennis Center near the Ellicott Complex.
Head coach Russ Crispell, currently in his 11th season as the Bulls' head coach, will look to veteran seniors Randy Rocchio and Nick Zieziula to lead the way for UB when they begin their final campaigns wearing blue and white.
In 2004, Zieziula accumulated 24 wins in singles action-good enough to make him the all-time record holder in that category. He also went 20-14 in doubles action, primarily playing with Rocchio at first doubles. Zieziula put an exclamation mark on a stellar junior season when he was named to the 2004 Academic All-Mid-American Conference men's tennis team. It was the first time that a member of the Bulls tennis squad was included on the Academic All-MAC team.
According to Crispell, the best way to get the team together on the court is to make sure that each player is on the same page off the court. For each away match, the team camps out together rather than staying in hotels to build team unity.
For the first time since the team's inception, Men's Tennis won their first Mid-American Conference playoff match last year, beating Toledo by a 4-1 margin. They hope to improve in their success in this coming year, getting even tighter as a group, and better as a team.
Randy Rocchio and Nick Zieziula lead the team as captains and as the top doubles squad. In the fall of 2001, their first season playing together, the duo was dubbed "Rock and Roll" by their fans and teammates.
The UB/St. Bonaventure tournament starts this weekend. Matches will be played all day Friday through Saturday.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
