QUICK FACTS Media Outlets... 3 Travel Information... 4 Directories COACHES Head Coach David Vest... 6 Head Coach Kemper Baker...

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1 Hank Grant Brian Dushock Samford University QUICK FACTS Media Outlets Travel Information Directories COACHES Head Coach David Vest Head Coach Kemper Baker... 7 OUTLOOK Women s Outlook Men s Outlook Rosters PLAYERS Women s Team Men s Team Editor Katie Walden Designer Carlie Cranford Stamper, Monica Washington Director of Creative Services Janica York Carter Copy Editor Laine Williams Contributors Zac Schrieber, Philip Poole, Sean Flynt Produced by Samford Office of Communication Photographers Caroline Baird Summers, Ann Wade Parrish Front Cover Jordan Delass, Sam Huffman, Anna Jackson, Katie Weaver Inside Front Cover Carl Abalos, Andrie Meiring, Karen Niszl, Oliver Reynolds Inside Back Cover 2008 Bulldogs Back Cover Schedule REVIEW Women s Review Men s Review SAMFORD UNIVERSITY Alumni President Birmingham/Homewood Athletics Staff Head Coaches Assistant Coaches and Staff. 40 Tennis Center Pete Hanna Arena Facilities Strength and Conditioning Academic Progress Ratings. 45 Academic Enhancement Samford University is an Equal Opportunity Institution and does not discriminate in its educational and employment policies on the basis of race, color, sex, age, disability, or national or ethnic origin. SAMFORD REVIEW PLAYERS OUTLOOK COACHES QUICK FACTS 1

2 QUICK FACTS QUICK FACTS COACHES OUTLOOK PLAYERS REVIEW SAMFORD SPORTS INFORMATION STAFF Joey Mullins Sports Information Director JOEY MULLINS (Football, Women s Basketball, Baseball) Sports Information Director Office Phone: Home Phone: Cell Phone: jmmulli1@samford.edu ZAC SCHRIEBER (Men s Basketball, Soccer, Softball) Assistant Sports Information Director Office Phone: Cell Phone: zdschrie@samford.edu KATIE WALDEN (Volleyball, Cross-Country, Track and Field, Tennis, Golf) Sports Information Intern Office Phone: kjwalden@samford.edu Office Fax: Website: Mailing Address: Office of Sports Information Samford University 800 Lakeshore Drive Birmingham, AL Zac Schrieber Assistant Sports Information Director SAMFORD UNIVERSITY Location: Birmingham, Ala. Year Founded: 1841, Howard College Enrollment: 4,500 Nickname: Bulldogs School Colors: Red and Blue Facility: Samford Tennis Center Affiliation: NCAA Division I Conference: Ohio Valley President: Dr. Andrew Westmoreland Alma Mater: Ouachita Baptist University 79 Director of Athletics: Bob Roller Alma Mater: Virginia Tech 83 Katie Walden Sports Information Intern WOMEN S TEAM INFORMATION 2007 Overall Record Conference Record/finish 11-1/1st 2007 OVC Tournament 1-1/2nd Letterwinners Returning/Lost 2/6 MEN S TEAM INFORMATION 2007 Overall Record Conference Record/finish 10-3/3rd 2007 OVC Tournament 2-1/2nd Letterwinners Returning/Lost 6/3 TENNIS STAFF Women s Head Coach David Vest (Morehead State 99) Record at Samford First Year Career Record Men s Head Coach Kemper Baker (Ole Miss 99) Record at Samford (five years) Career Record same COVERING THE BULLDOGS Interview Policies: Media interviews with players and coaches are encouraged, and every effort will be made to accommodate media requests. In-person interviews are preferred. Telephone interviews can be arranged through the Office of Sports Information. All interviews should be coordinated through the Office of Sports Information. Players and coaches will be available for interviews at the Pat M. Courington Tennis Pavilion upon request. Media Credentials: No media credentials are required for coverage of regular-season home matches since admission is free. For post season matches, credentials may be obtained through the Office of Sports Information. 2 SAMFORD TENNIS

3 MEDIA OUTLETS PRINT ADDRESS PHONE FAX CONTACT Anniston Star P. O. Box 189, Anniston, AL Scott Adamson Associated Press 200 Washington Avenue, Montgomery, AL John Zenor Associated Press Suite 500, One CNN Center, Atlanta, GA Sports Birmingham News P. O. Box 2553, Birmingham, AL Mike Perrin Cullman Times 300 4th Avenue SE, Cullman, AL Scott Turner Decatur Daily P. O. Box 2213, Decatur, AL Bruce McLellan Dothan Eagle P. O. Box 1968, Dothan, AL Jon Johnson Enterprise Ledger P. O. Box , Enterprise, AL Steve Butterworth Florence Times Daily P. O. Box 797, Florence, AL David Wasson Fort Payne Times-Journal P. O. Box 349, Fort Payne, AL Sports Editor Gadsden Times P. O. Box 188, Gadsden, AL Jimmy Smothers Huntsville Times P. O. Box 1487, W.S., Huntsville, AL John Pruett Mobile Press Register P. O. Box 2488, Mobile, AL John Cameron Montgomery Advertiser P. O. Box 1000, Montgomery, AL L. C. Johnson Opelika-Auburn News P. O. Drawer 2208, Opelika, AL Joe McAdory Over the Mountain Journal 2016 Columbiana Road, Birmingham, AL Maury Wald Samford Crimson P. O. Box , Birmingham, AL Sports Editor Scottsboro Daily Sentinel 701 Veteran s Drive, Scottsboro, AL David Defurio Selma Times-Journal P. O. Box 611, Selma, AL Sports Editor Talladega Daily Home P. O. Box 977, Talladega, AL Sports Editor Troy Messenger P. O. Box 727, Troy, AL Hut Treadwell Tuscaloosa News P. O. Drawer 1, Tuscaloosa, AL Cecil Hurt TELEVISION ADDRESS PHONE FAX CONTACT WBRC-TV P. O. Box 6, Birmingham, AL Rick Karle WVTM-TV P. O. Box 10502, Birmingham, AL Don Haas Alabama s ABC 33/ Concourse Parkway, Suite 200/ Mike Raita Birmingham, AL WIAT-TV P. O. Box 6146, Birmingham, AL Brad Radice RADIO ADDRESS PHONE FAX CONTACT WJOX/WAPI Radio 244 Goodwin Crest Drive, Suite Ryan Haney Birmingham, AL WERC Radio 530 Beacon Parkway West, Suite Chris Stewart Birmingham, AL Alabama Radio Network 244 Goodwin Crest Drive, Suite Pat Smith Birmingham, AL WYDE Radio 244 Goodwin Crest Drive, Homewood, AL Lee Davis WVSU Radio 800 Lakeshore Drive, Birmingham, AL Andy Parrish MISCELLANEOUS ADDRESS PHONE FAX CONTACT BP Sports Online 901 Commerce Street, Nashville, TN Todd Starnes NCAA 6201 College Boulevard, Overland Park, KS John Painter Sports Ticker 600 Plaza Two, Jersey City, NJ John Mastro Sports Network 701 Mason s Mill, Huntington Valley, PA Tony Moss USA Today Online P. O. Box 7855, Washington, D.C., Phil Abashian ON THE NET A wealth of resources for the Samford Department of Athletics can be found at A drop-down menu on the left side of the front page lists the home page for tennis or any of Samford s 17 inter collegiate teams. SAMFORD REVIEW PLAYERS OUTLOOK COACHES QUICK FACTS 3

4 TRAVEL INFORMATION QUICK FACTS COACHES OUTLOOK PLAYERS REVIEW SAMFORD BIRMINGHAM TO: Miles Driving Time (hours) Auburn, Ala Lubbock, Texas Montgomery, Ala Atlanta, Ga Troy, Ala Charleston, S.C Charleston, Ill Murray, Ky Jacksonville, Ala Cape Girardeau, Mo San Antonio, Texas Lubbock, Texas Nashville, Tenn DIRECTIONS TO THE SAMFORD TENNIS CENTER From I-20/59 North: Exit onto I-65 South toward Montgomery. Continue approximately five miles and take Exit 255 to Lakeshore Drive. Turn left onto Lakeshore Drive and continue approximately two miles. Turn left at the fourth traffic light into the main gate. Turn left onto Montague Drive. Turn left on Dawson Drive. Turn left on Neal Road. The Samford Tennis Center is beside the parking deck. SAMFORD UNIVERSITY CAMPUS MAP 1. Main Gate 2. Centennial Walk 3. Frank Park Samford Hall 4. John H. Buchanan Hall 5. Bonnie Bolding Swearingen Hall 5a. Benjamin F. Harrison Theatre 5b. Bolding Studio 6. Leslie S. Wright Center Concert Hall 7. Jane Hollock Brock Hall 7a. Jane Hollock Brock Recital Hall 8. Divinity Hall 9. Ralph W. Beeson University Center 10. J. D. Pittman Hall 11. F. Page Seibert Stadium 12. Leo E. Bashinsky Press Tower 13. F. Page Seibert Hall 14. Leo E. Bashinsky Fieldhouse 15. Bulldog Spirit Plaza 16. Joe Lee Griffin Baseball Field 17. Pete Hanna Center 18. Softball Field 19. Tennis Center 20. West Campus Parking Deck 21. West Campus Residence Halls 21a. Sigma Chi 21b. Mountain View 21c. Sigma Nu 21d. Alpha Omicron Pi 21e. Phi Mu 21f. Chi Omega 21g. Alpha Delta Pi 21h. Zeta Tau Alpha 22. Pi Kappa Phi House 23. Air Force ROTC Detachment 24. Athletics Annex 25. Lambda Chi Alpha House 26. Erskine Ramsay Student Apartments 27. Dwight M. and Lucille S. Beeson Center for the Healing Arts 28. Orlean Bullard Beeson Hall From I-65 North: Take Exit 255 to Lakeshore Drive. Turn right onto Lakeshore Drive and con tinue approximately two miles. Turn left at the fourth traffic light into the main gate. Turn left onto Montague Drive. Turn left on Dawson Drive. Turn left on Neal Road. The Samford Tennis Center is beside the parking deck. From I-20 West: Exit onto I-459 South toward Montgomery/Tuscaloosa. Continue approximately 10 miles and take exit for Highway 280 North toward Mountain Brook. Take Lakeshore Drive exit and turn left onto Lakeshore Drive. Continue approximately three miles. Turn right into the main gate. Turn left onto Montague Drive. Turn left on Dawson Drive. Turn left on Neal Road. The Samford Tennis Center is beside the parking deck. From I-65 South: Take Exit 255 to Lakeshore Drive. Turn left onto Lakeshore Drive and con tinue approximately two miles. Turn left at the fourth traffic light into the main gate. Turn left onto Montague Drive. Turn left on Dawson Drive. Turn left on Neal Road. The Samford Tennis Center is beside the parking deck. From I-59 South: Exit onto I-65 South toward Montgomery. Continue approximately five miles and take Exit 255 to Lakeshore Drive. Turn left onto Lakeshore Drive and continue approximately two miles. Turn left at the fourth traffic light into the main gate. Turn left onto Montague Drive. Turn left on Dawson Drive. Turn left on Neal Road. The Samford Tennis Center is beside the parking deck. 29. Lena Vail Davis Residence Hall 30. North Campus Parking 31. Northeast Parking Deck 32. Mamie Mell Smith Residence Hall 33. Dwight M. Beeson Hall 34. Ben Brown Plaza 35. University Library 36. Memory Leake Robinson Hall 37. Lucille Stewart Beeson Law Library 38. Elinor Messer Brooks and Marion Thomas Brooks Hall 39. Percy Pratt Burns Hall 40. A. Hamilton Reid Chapel 41. James Horton Chapman Hall 42. Sciencenter 43. Beeson Woods Residence Halls 43a. James Hall 43b. Luther Hall 43c. Malcolm Hall 43d. Wesley Hall 43e. Ralph Hall 43f. Orlean Hall 43g. Dwight Hall 43h. Lucille Hall 43i. Treetop Hall 43j. Evergreen Hall 43k. Rosa Hall 43l. Ethel Hall 43m. Marvin Hall 44. Thomas D. Russell Hall 45. Robert I. Ingalls, Sr. Hall 46. Children's Learning Center 47. Soccer/Intramural Fields 48. Alpine Tower 49. West Entrance 50. Facilities Services 51. Student Apartments 52. Facilities Services Houses 53. South Stadium Lot Updated 6/15/07 4 SAMFORD TENNIS

5 DIRECTORIES HOTELS Alta Vista Hotel 260 Goodwin Crest Drive Drury Inn and Suites 3510 Grandview Parkway Hampton Inn 2731 U.S. Highway Hilton Perimeter 8 Perimeter Park South Howard Johnson 275 Oxmoor Road Wynfrey 1000 Riverchase Galleria RESTAURANTS Applebee s 601 Brookwood Village Arby s 350 Valley Avenue Chappy s Deli 2737 Mountain Brook Plaza Domino s Pizza 430 Green Springs Highway Firehouse Subs 429 Green Springs Highway Full Moon Barbecue 337 Valley Avenue Jason s Deli 583 Brookwood Village Loco s Deli 230 State Farm Parkway O Charley s 109 Wildwood Parkway Papa John s th Street South Qdoba Mexican Grill 437 Green Springs Highway Ruth s Chris Steakhouse2300 Woodcrest Place Smoothie King th Avenue South Renan Silveira PHONE DIRECTORY All Numbers are Area Code 205. Department of Athletics Fax Sports Information Fax Baseball Office Fax Kemper Baker (Head Coach, Tennis) Diane Blakney (Administrative Assistant, Football) Chris Brasfield (Assistant Coach, Football) Steve Brickey (Assistant Coach, Football) André Bruce (Assistant Coach, Football) Lee Burgess (Assistant Coach, Men s Basketball) James Carlson (Equipment Manager, Football) Bill Clay (Assistant Coach, Football) Larry Crowe (Director of Football Operations) Tony David (Assistant Coach, Baseball) Amber Deline (Assistant Coach, Women s Basketball) Bill D Ottavio (Assistant Coach, Football) Casey Dunn (Head Coach, Baseball) Michelle Durban (Assistant Director, Athletics) Woodie Eubanks (Head Coach, Golf) Brandon Evans (Assistant Athletic Trainer) Mick Fieldbinder (Assistant Coach, Baseball) Brandon Herring (Assistant Coach, Football) Paul Hogan (Strength and Conditioning, Football) Chad James (Asst. Coach, Track and Field/Cross-Country) Michelle Johnson (Assistant Athletic Trainer) Paul Kelly (Associate Head Coach, Men s Basketball) Wayne Kendrick (Director of Athletic Training) Beanie Ketcham (Head Coach, Softball) Matt Knowles (Assistant Athletic Trainer) Latonya Lawson (Academic Enhancement Coordinator) Wanda Lucas (Athletics Business Manager) Grant Lyons (Assistant Director, Athletics) Vaughan Lyons (Director of Game-Day Operations) Latrice McLin (Assistant Coach, Women s Basketball) Glenn McWaters (Head Coach, Track and Field/Cross-Country) Chris Metress (Faculty Athletics Representative) Mike Morris (Head Coach, Women s Basketball) Joey Mullins (Sports Information Director) Peter Neuberger (Senior Associate Director, Athletics) Ross Newton (Assistant Coach, Football) Jay Roberson (Associate Director of Athletics) Ross Robinson (Assistant Coach, Football) Tommy Rohling (Strength and Conditioning) Bob Roller (Director of Athletics) Zac Schrieber (Assistant Sports Information Director) Derek Schroeder (Head Coach, Volleyball) Chris Scott (Assistant Director, Athletics) Leslie Snellman (Marketing Intern) Pat Sullivan (Head Coach, Football) Rucker Taylor (Assistant Coach, Baseball) Ian Thompson (Assistant Coach, Golf) Jimmy Tillette (Head Coach, Men s Basketball) Clarissa Tomlinson (Assistant Coach, Women s Basketball) Katie Walden (Sports Information Intern) Jay Yelton (Assistant Coach, Soccer) Todd Yelton (Head Coach, Soccer) SAMFORD REVIEW PLAYERS OUTLOOK COACHES QUICK FACTS 5

6 COACHES QUICK FACTS COACHES OUTLOOK PLAYERS REVIEW SAMFORD WOMEN S HEAD COACH DAVID VEST D avid Vest is in his first season as head coach of the women s tennis team at Samford. He was hired Aug. 2, Vest served as the assistant head women s coach at the University of Kentucky for two seasons before coming to Samford. At Kentucky, he helped coach the women s team that was ranked as high as No. 12 in the nation last season. That team also produced a pair of NCAA All-Americans. Before working at Kentucky, Vest was the head men s and women s tennis coach at Morehead State for four seasons. He was named the Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year in 2002 after he led the Eagles to a school-record total in wins. Before being named the head coach at Morehead State, Vest spent two seasons as an assistant coach with the program after he completed his eligibility as a member of the Eagles tennis team. He graduated from Morehead State with a degree in government and history in In high school, Vest was a four-time team MVP at Morgan County Central High School in West Liberty, Ky. He was named first-team All-State in his junior and senior seasons. Vest inherited a Samford program that won the OVC regular-season championship title in The Bulldogs advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2006 and 2004, and won three titles in four seasons as members of the OVC. In 2007, Samford began play in its new, multimillion dollar Tennis Center, which includes the Pat M. Courington Tennis Pavilion and Darwin C. Hardison Tennis Courts. FIRST SEASON COACHING EXPERIENCE 2007 present Head Coach Samford University Assistant Coach University of Kentucky Head Coach Morehead State University Assistant Coach Morehead State University PLAYING EXPERIENCE Morehead State University EDUCATION 1999 B.A., government and history Morehead State University PERSONAL Birthday March 11, 1978 Hometown West Liberty, Ky. 6 SAMFORD TENNIS

7 COACHES MEN S HEAD COACH KEMPER BAKER 2005 OHIO VALLEY CONFERENCE COACH OF THE YEAR K emper Baker enters his sixth season as head coach of the Samford men s tennis team. In three years as head coach, he took the program from a 6-13 record to 14-9 overall in The 2005 Bulldogs posted an undefeated record in conference play, 8-0, and placed second in the OVC Tournament in 2005 and Baker was named OVC Coach of the Year in 2005 and has brought prominence to Samford by signing some of the nation s top talent. Baker served as an assistant coach in the and seasons at Samford. In his first year as an assistant, he helped the Bulldogs to the Trans-America Athletic Conference title match as well as a top 15 ranking in the ITA South Region. Baker serves as a junior development coach for the Player s Academy, where he trains some of the top junior talent in the state. He also codirects Samford Bulldog Tennis camps with Women s Head Coach David Vest. Baker serves as a tennis professional in Gardendale, Ala., where he has helped expand and implement adult and junior tennis programs for the community. A 1998 graduate of the University of Mississippi, Baker is married to the former Virginia Miller of Columbus, Ga. FIFTH SEASON COACHING EXPERIENCE 2002 present Head Coach Samford University Assistant Coach Samford University Assistant Coach Samford University PLAYING EXPERIENCE University of Mississippi EDUCATION 1999 B.A., English University of Mississippi PERSONAL Birthday April 17, 1975 Hometown Richmond, Va. Wife Virginia SAMFORD REVIEW PLAYERS OUTLOOK COACHES QUICK FACTS 7

8 WOMEN S OUTLOOK QUICK FACTS COACHES OUTLOOK PLAYERS REVIEW SAMFORD TWO SENIORS, SIX FRESHMEN PLAN TO UPHOLD WINNING TRADITION T he Samford women s tennis team goes into the 2008 spring season with a tradition of winning. The Bulldogs earned their first Ohio Valley Conference regular-season title in 2007, boasting an undefeated conference schedule and just missing their third tournament championship in four years. Samford comes off a 14-5 season, 11-1 in conference play. The only conference loss came in the finals of the OVC tournament. Only two veteran Bulldogs return to the 2008 roster. They welcome six new players and hope to pass on the legacy of Samford women s tennis to this young, fresh squad. The Samford women also return with new leadership. Samford Head Coach David Vest, a former University of Kentucky assistant, took over the reins Aug. 2, This team has a great work ethic, mainly because we are comprised of only seniors and freshman, Vest said. The seniors have done a great job at leading by example and working hard in our individual workouts as well as our team practices. The freshmen have really taken to how hard Anna [Jackson] and Katie [Weaver] have worked. They have pushed themselves to get better each day. RETURNING BULLDOGS Leading the Bulldogs this season as squad captains are seniors Anna Jackson and Katie Weaver. Jackson is a 2006 secondteam All-OVC member who played the No. 1 singles position again during the 2007 season. Weaver posted an even record (8-8, 5-5 OVC) at the No. 2 singles spot last season and was one-half of the successful No. 3 doubles team that posted a 10-6, 8-2 OVC record. Our key players are really going to be our seniors, Vest said. It is my job to make sure that we are ready to compete each match, but it is up to the seniors to lead by example. They will have the most important role as we head into our spring season. Lindsay Reidenbach Taylor Morgan 8 SAMFORD TENNIS

9 WOMEN S OUTLOOK NEWCOMERS The two seniors welcome six freshmen to the squad. All six newcomers are top-ranked recruits who have been extremely successful in the junior ranks. We have some very talented freshmen who are going to play vital roles, Vest said. I look for the success seen in the fall semester by many of them to continue into the start of the spring season. Lindsey Mallory is a two-time Kentucky high school doubles champion who was voted Academic All-State. She is expected to be very solid in the middle of the lineup in singles and doubles. Taylor Morgan is a Lifetime Letterwinner at The Bolles School. She won the Van Etten Bent Award for the school s outstanding female tennis player in 2006 and She is a five-time state champion in singles and three-time champion in doubles. Lindsay Reidenbach was a high-school teammate of Morgan. Reidenbach won two state singles titles at The Bolles School. Vest dubbed her as one of the most competitive players on the team. Rebecca Kirven played the No. 1 position on her high school team during her last two years and took third in the Florida high school state championships. She is very strong from the forehand side and should be a solid contributor to this year s team. Andrie Meiring is a South African standout who was ranked as high as No. 2 nationally in singles in the Under-18 category for the past two years. She and her doubles partner were ranked as high as No. 1 in the same category for the past two years. She was a member of four South African Schools Championship teams. Karen Niszl is 2007 South African Games gold medalist. She was ranked as high as No. 3 nationally in singles in the Under-18 category. She has wins over several current players in United States collegiate tennis and should be a strong competitor for the Bulldogs this season. SCHEDULE Samford s 2008 spring schedule sees the Bulldogs again taking on many tough competitors as they enter their last season in the Ohio Valley Conference. Samford opens the 2008 season with a four-game swing on the road before returning home to host its first home match. The Bulldog women first take on Georgia State Feb. 1 and Georgia Southern the next day. Two weeks later, Samford opens conference play at Jacksonville State before facing the reigning NAIA women s tennis champion, Auburn University Montgomery. Lindsey Mallory Samford s first home match features a cross-town rival match-up with UAB. Then the Bulldogs go on the road to face the College of Charleston. The Bulldogs host five consecutive home games, with nonconference matches against Florida A&M and Houston book - ending three straight conference matches (Tennessee Martin, Jacksonville State, Austin Peay). On the last weekend in March, Samford participates in the Blue-Gray Jamboree before heading into the final stretch of the 2008 season. The Bulldogs stay on the road for four conference matches against Eastern Illinois, Murray State, Southeast Missouri and Tennessee State before returning home to host their final Ohio Valley Conference regularseason matches with Eastern Kentucky, Morehead State and Tennessee Tech University. The season ends with the OVC Tournament in Nashville, Tenn SAMFORD WOMEN S TENNIS SCHEDULE Feb. 1 Georgia State Feb. 2 Georgia Southern Feb. 9 Southern Illinois Feb. 9 Memphis Feb. 13 Jacksonville State Feb. 17 Auburn Montgomery Feb. 23 UAB March 1 College of Charleston March 6 FLORIDA A&M March 8 TENNESSEE MARTIN* March 13 JACKSONVILLE STATE* March 15 AUSTIN PEAY* March 16 HOUSTON March 22 MERCER March Blue-Gray Jamboree April 4 Murray State* April 5 Eastern Illinois* April 6 Southeast Missouri* April 9 Tennessee State* April 11 EASTERN KENTUCKY* April 12 MOREHEAD STATE* April 13 TENNESSEE TECH* April OVC Tournament *OVC match Home matches are in BOLD CAPS. All times are Central; dates and times are subject to change. SAMFORD REVIEW PLAYERS OUTLOOK COACHES QUICK FACTS 9

10 MEN S OUTLOOK QUICK FACTS COACHES OUTLOOK PLAYERS REVIEW SAMFORD BULLDOGS SEEK TO LEAVE OVC AS CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS T he Samford men s tennis team returns to the courts in 2008 hungry for a conference championship. The Bulldogs have come in second the past two years and want to leave the Ohio Valley Conference as champions. The Bulldogs come off a 14-9 overall record, going 10-3 against OVC opponents. Head Coach Kemper Baker hopes that this year s team can fight its way to the men s first champion ship. Baker enters his sixth year at the helm of the Samford squad. So far, he has led his teams to an overall record of RETURNING BULLDOGS Samford returns six Bulldogs from the roster. They learned a great deal Richard Walsh from their experiences last season and are committed to work hard and achieve excellence, which is a staple in Samford tennis. There are so many good players and teams out there now, not only in the OVC, but in college tennis as a whole, Baker said. There is no room to take days off mentally. The talent pool is too deep. Hank Grant is a 2007 All-OVC second-team selection and was recognized as OVC Male Athlete of the Week March 28. He played in the back three courts throughout the 2007 season and posted a 6-3, 5-2 OVC record at the No. 4 court. He went undefeated at the No. 5 position and ranks second in the conference. He was part of the successful No. 2 duo that turned in a one-loss conference record and ranks fifth in the conference in No. 2 doubles teams. Renan Silveira played most of the 2007 season at the No. 1 position and turned in a 7-7, 4-3 OVC record. He was named to the All-OVC first team and had a good fall, claiming the singles championship at the Crimson Tide Invitational. He is an important leader for the Bulldogs, inspiring his teammates to work hard and be competitive. Sam Huffman is a talented transfer from South Alabama who had a successful first year as a Bulldog last season, posting an undefeated conference record at the No. 4 court and a 7-2, 5-1 OVC record at the No. 3 spot. He and doubles partner Silveira grabbed their biggest win of the season over the nationally ranked Clemson duo, Blek/Bizjak. Brian Dushock was very successful at the No. 6 spot last season and went unde - feated in conference play at the No. 3 court with partner Manuel Miletic. He and partner Kelwin DeWet should be a strong doubles team this season. Sam Rocke saw limited action for Samford last season as a transfer from Indiana Adam Witcher 10 SAMFORD TENNIS

11 MEN S OUTLOOK University Purdue Fort Wayne, but he should be a solid contributor to the squad this season. Baker says Rocke is intelligent and athletic, and can be very effective against a variety of players. Kelwin DeWet joined the Samford squad at the beginning of 2007 and made an immediate impact on the team. He saw most of his action at the No. 5 position, posting a 5-1, 4-1 OVC record. Baker believes DeWet has the potential to be one of the best players in the OVC. NEWCOMERS Freshman Carl Abalos was ranked seventh in the South last year and won the 2007 Southern Spring Closed Championships in Mobile, Ala. He led Etowah High School to the regional finals as the team s No. 1 singles player, and should be a huge contributor in singles and doubles. Jordan Delass is a senior transfer from Georgia Tech, where he played the No. 2 and No. 4 positions. He won the 2006 ITA Summer Championship title and should begin the spring season playing at the top of the singles lineup. He joins with Silveira as a very talented doubles team. Freshman Oliver Reynolds was ranked 28th in the South last year and led Woodward Academy to back-to-back 4A Georgia State Championship titles in 2006 and Richard Walsh is a talented transfer from Birmingham-Southern, where he played No. 3 in singles and No. 1 in doubles for the Panthers. He hails from Mobile, Ala., where he was on the same McGill-Toolen team as Sam Huffman. He was ranked No. 1 in Alabama as a junior player. Adam Witcher finished his senior season of high school with an unblemished 23-0 record. He won the championship title in the 2006 Alabama 5A State singles tour nament. He has recovered from recent shoulder surgery. Baker says Witcher is probably the most improved player in the Bulldog program. This year s team is more talented, has more depth, and more experience than any team we have ever had, Baker said. The key factors in our success are going to be staying healthy and making constant, steady progress to ensure that we are playing our best tennis in April. SCHEDULE The Samford men open up the spring season with a warm getaway as they head to Florida in mid-january to take on Florida Atlantic and the University of Miami. They then take on two Southeastern Conference teams Auburn (No. 29) and Vanderbilt (No. 36) before returning home to host Columbus State. Next, the Bulldogs go on a three-match road swing, taking on Southeastern Louisiana and Louisiana Lafayette before opening conference play at Jacksonville State. They continue conference play with four matches at home, hosting Tennessee Martin, Jacksonville State and Austin Peay, followed by nonconference opponent Mercer. At the end of March, Samford heads to Texas to face the University of Texas San Antonio, New Mexico State and No. 33 Texas Tech. They head into the home stretch of the season with three road conference matches at Eastern Illinois, Murray State and Tennessee State. Samford hosts its final Ohio Valley Conference home matches in mid-april against Eastern Kentucky and Morehead State before playing its final regular-season con - ference match at Tennessee Tech. To end the season, the Bulldogs take on their third SEC opponent, Alabama, before heading to Nashville, Tenn., for the 2008 OVC Tournament. Sam Rocke 2008 SAMFORD MEN S TENNIS SCHEDULE Jan. 23 Florida Atlantic 12 p.m. Jan. 25 Miami 10:30 a.m. Feb. 2 Vanderbilt 1 p.m. Feb. 3 COLUMBUS STATE 1 p.m. Feb. 8 Southeastern Louisiana 1 p.m. Feb. 9 Louisiana Lafayette 12 p.m. Feb. 13 Jacksonville State* 1:30 p.m. March 8 TENNESSEE MARTIN* 2 p.m. March 13 JACKSONVILLE STATE* 2 p.m. March 15 AUSTIN PEAY* 12 p.m. March 22 MERCER 1:30 p.m. March 27 Texas San Antonio 12 p.m. March 28 New Mexico State 11 a.m. March 29 Texas Tech 1 p.m. April 5 Eastern Illinois* 12 p.m. April 6 Murray State* 10 a.m. April 9 Tennessee State* 1 p.m. April 11 EASTERN KENTUCKY* 2 p.m. April 12 MOREHEAD STATE* 10 a.m. April 13 Tennessee Tech* 12 p.m. April 16 Alabama 12 p.m. April OVC Tournament TBA *OVC match Home matches are in BOLD CAPS. All times are Central; dates and times are subject to change. SAMFORD REVIEW PLAYERS OUTLOOK COACHES QUICK FACTS 11

12 ROSTERS QUICK FACTS COACHES OUTLOOK PLAYERS REVIEW SAMFORD Front row (from left): Katie Weaver, Anna Jackson, Lindsay Reidenbach; back row (from left): Karen Niszl, Taylor Morgan, Rebecca Kirven, Andrie Meiring, Lindsey Mallory WOMEN S TEAM NAME CL HOMETOWN/PREVIOUS SCHOOL Anna Jackson Sr. Alexander City, Ala./ University of Kansas Rebecca Kirven Fr. Windermere, Fla./Olympia High School Lindsay Mallory Fr. Louisville, Ky./Christian Academy Andrie Meiring Fr. Stellenbosch, South Africa/Bloemhof Girls School Taylor Morgan Fr. Jacksonville, Fla./The Bolles School Karen Niszl Fr. Krugersdorp, South Africa/Krugersdorp High School Lindsey Reidenbach Fr. Ponte Vedra, Fla./The Bolles School Katie Weaver Sr. Alpharetta, Ga./Milton High School Head Coach: David Vest (Morehead State 99) Front row (from left): Oliver Reynolds, Richard Walsh, Adam Witcher, Carl Abalos; back row (from left): Sam Huffman, Jordan Delass, Hank Grant, Renan Silveira, Sam Rocke; not pictured: Kelwin DeWet, Brian Dushock MEN S TEAM NAME CL HOMETOWN/PREVIOUS SCHOOL Carl Abalos Fr. Woodstock, Ga./Etowah High School Jordan Delass Sr. Marietta, Ga./Georgia Tech Kelwin DeWet So. Pretoria, South Africa/Laurel Springs High School Brian Dushock Jr. West Palm Beach, Fla./Cardinal Newman High School Hank Grant Sr. Kennesaw, Ga./North Cobb High School Sam Huffman Sr. Mobile, Ala./South Alabama Oliver Reynolds Fr. McDonough, Ga./Woodward Academy Sam Rocke Jr. Fort Wayne, Ind./Indiana University Fort Wayne Renan Silveira Sr. Pelotas, Brazil/Colegio Sao Jose Richard Walsh Jr. Mobile, Ala./Birmingham Southern Adam Witcher Fr. Cullman, Ala./Cullman High School Head Coach: Kemper Baker (Ole Miss 98) 12 SAMFORD TENNIS