Sept. 15, 2004
2004-05 Schedule
WACO, Texas - Baylor's men's tennis team, defending NCAA national champions, released its 2004-05 schedule that includes nine preseason tournaments and 12 top 40 opponents, eight of which rank in the top 25.
Head coach Matt Knoll enters his ninth year at the helm of the men's program after leading the Bears to their first-ever team NCAA title. Over his eight seasons at Baylor, Knoll holds a 174-48 record including four Big 12 Championships in 2000, 2002, 2003 and 2004 and has lead the Bears to the NCAA Tournament all eight seasons.
"Our 2005 schedule will provide the challenges we'll need to help us improve over the course of the year," Knoll said. "I'm excited to see how our team stacks up against so many strong programs. It should prove to be a thrilling home season for our fans and I encourage them to join us at the courts."
Five letterwinners return from last season's championship squad. Defending NCAA Singles Champion Benjamin Becker and fellow senior Benedikt Dorsch will lead the team, which includes lettermen Barry McLaren, Jon Reckewey and Matija Zgaga. This year's team welcomes two newcomers, transfer Michal Kokta and freshman Lars Poerschke.
The Bears begin preseason action hosting the Baylor Intercollegiate Tournament in Waco Sept. 24-26 at the Baylor Tennis Facility. Twelve teams will participate in the fall classic, including Big 12 Conference foes Texas and Colorado. Baylor will wrap-up preseason play Nov. 4-7 at the National Indoor in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Baylor springs into regular-season action at the Sherwood Classic Jan. 14-17 in Thousand Oaks, Calif. The Bears begin conference play Jan. 28 at Nebraska and host No. 4 Southern Cal Feb. 3 in the home opener. Other non-conference matches include No. 14 Kentucky, No. 10 Virginia, No. 15 Virginia Commonwealth and No. 7 Stanford.
Post-season action starts Apr. 29 at the Big 12 Tournament in Austin, Texas. The defending champs begin the NCAA Tournament May 13 and the championships will be held in College Station, Texas May 21-30.
