Two-Time Defending ASUN Champion Liberty Pick to Win League in 2023
1/5/2023 1:15:11 PM | Men's Tennis
Two-defending defending ASUN Conference champion Liberty has been picked to finish first in the 2023 ASUN Men’s Tennis Preseason Coaches Poll.
This marks the second straight year the Flames have been selected to win the ASUN. Liberty received nine of the 12 available first-place votes and 139 points in the poll. North Florida (two first-place votes, 129 points) were picked to finish second in the league, followed by FGCU (thid, one first-place vote, 121 points), Kennesaw State (fourth, 98 points) and Jacksonville State (fifth, 97 points).
Rounding out the poll were Stetson (sixth, 94 points), Queens (seventh, 52 points), Lipscomb (tied for eighth, 51 points), Bellarmine (tied for eighth, 51 points), North Alabama (10th, 45 points), Eastern Kentucky (11th, 42 points) and Austin Peay (12th, 17 points).
Liberty’s strong spring 2023 schedule begins with a home match against defending national champion No. 1 Virginia, Jan. 19 at 5 p.m. The Flames’ first ASUN match will be against Kennesaw State at home on March 17. Liberty is 18-3 all-time in ASUN regular season competition since joining the league prior to the beginning of the 2018-19 academic year.
The Flames’ strong non-conference slate also includes home matches against Clemson (Feb. 10), VCU (Feb. 12), Penn State (Feb. 24), South Florida (Feb. 26) and Charlotte (March 4). Liberty will face No. 4 Kentucky on the road at ITA Kickoff Weekend on Jan. 27 as well as either Notre Dame or Washington.
Liberty is coming off a 2022 season in which it won its second consecutive ASUN Men’s Tennis Championship crown. The Flames downed FGCU in the final for a second straight year, winning 4-2. The Flames and Eagles will square off again on April 8 in Fort Myers, Fla.
The 2023 ASUN Men’s Tennis Championship will be held from April 13-22. The April 13 and 14 first round and quarterfinal matches will be at campus sites, followed by the semifinals and finals April 21-22 at North Florida.
Liberty finished the spring 2022 season as the 66th-ranked team in the country. The Flames were among the top 75 teams in the country in each of the 12 national rankings that came out a season ago.
The Flames return seven players from last year’s championship team, including the program’s all-time singles wins record holder, Josh Wilson. Other returnees include Rafael Marques Da Silva, Christiaan Worst, Deji Thomas-Smith, Thando Longwe-Smit, Zion Heaven and Goncalo Ferreira.
2023 ASUN Conference Men’s Tennis Preseason Coaches Poll
Team (first-place votes) Total Points
1. Liberty (9) 139
2. North Florida (2) 129)
3. FGCU (1) 121
4. Kennesaw State 98
5. Jacksonville State 97
6. Stetson 94
7. Queens 52
T8. Lipscomb 51
T8. Bellarmine 51
10. North Alabama 45
11. Eastern Kentucky 42
12. Austin Peay 17
