MONTGOMERY, Ala.--The Auburn University at Montgomery men's tennis team will open up the 2008 season on Friday, Feb. 1, when they travel to Rock Hill, South Carolina, to play NCAA Division I member, Winthrop University at noon.  They will follow that up with a meeting at NCAA Division II member Lander University in Greenwood, South Carolina on Saturday, Feb. 2 at noon.

The Senators are coming off a season which saw them finish with a 23-2 record and a seventh NAIA national title.  It was also the second consecutive championship for the Senators and their third in the past four seasons.

AUM has a strong nucleus returning this season led by senior Daniel Plasa, a three-time NAIA All-American.  He is joined by Victor Sanakai Papi, who won last season's Ward-Ballinger Outstanding Player-of-the-Year award.  Also returning are All-Americans Nikola Miskovic and Timothy Mudrick, both juniors, and sophomore Thomas Ptacek.

AUM has added four talented newcomers to the team.  They are Alberto Gonzales, Michale Johnson, Fransisco Javier Redondo and Monte Tucker.

AUM will once again be led by coach Anuk Christianz, who is only two wins away from gaining his 100^th career win in a short five-year head coaching career over the men's program.  He has had a remarkable run as AUM head coach leading the Senators to three national championships, a semifinal finish, and one runner-up finish.

AUM will once again play as strong a schedule as any other NAIA institution.  They will play a total of nine NCAA institutions and will also play in the Clemson Collegiate Invitational at Clemson University.  Among those nine NCAA playing programs, a total of 14 national championships have been won by those programs.

AUM will also face some of the toughest small college teams as they will play in the always tough Southern States Athletic Conference and will face national powers, Xavier College, California Baptist and Lindsey Wilson College.  AUM will also host the AUM Invitational and the annual Small College Blue & Gray tournament, which always attracts some of the best small college programs from across the nation.

To learn more about AUM men's tennis click here. 

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