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The Virginia Tech men's tennis team opens the spring portion of the 2008-09 schedule this weekend at the Auburn Invitational. The Hokies will face players from LSU, Arkansas and the host Tigers in the three-day event. The following is a preview of the this year's team:

Virginia Tech, coming off back-to-back NCAA Championship Tournament appearances, will feature a team in which depth throughout the lineup will be its major strength. Tech finished the 2007-08 season with a 16-9 overall record and a No. 28 national ranking along with a No. 4 ranking in the tough Mideast region. The Hokies will have to replace All-ACC Albert Larregola, who concluded his senior season with a No. 44 national ranking and 84 career singles victories. Larregola advanced to the second round of the 2008 NCAA Singles Championships in Tulsa, Okla.

This year’s team, No. 28 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association preseason national rankings, will feature three seniors, two juniors and one sophomore who are joined by five very talented freshmen. The team’s success in the always tough Atlantic Coast Conference will ultimately be determined by how quickly the freshman class adjusts to collegiate competition.

“Our team performed very well in the fall considering the fact we added five new freshmen and played a very demanding schedule,” said Head Coach Jim Thompson. “ I felt we were able to get everyone on the team some experience and that everyone improved their games. I also think we were able to identify some areas that need further work and everyone has been working hard to improve in these areas.”

The Hokies will be led by senior Nicolas Delgado de Robles (Madrid, Spain), an All-ACC selection, who was ranked No. 75 nationally entering the 2008 fall campaign and is No. 16 in the 2009 ITA Mideast Region preseason singles rankings. Delgado de Robles advanced to the Round of 16 at the Southern Collegiates and teamed with Luka Somen to upset Virginia’s 33rd-ranked doubles team to win the UVa Ranked Plus One tournament. He was named to both the All-ACC Academic Men’s Tennis Team and to the ACC Academic Honor Roll. Additionally, Delgado de Robles and teammate Luka Somen received a preseason doubles ranking of No. 20 nationally and are ninth in the Mideast Region.

Pedro Graber (Jr., Santiago, Chile), No. 101 in the 2009 ITA preseason national singles rankings and tenth in the Mideast Regio, continues to improve with every season and posted a 9-3 fall singles record. Graber advanced to the singles quarterfinals of the Wilson/ITA Mideast Regional. He was selected to the All-ACC Academic Men’s Tennis Team as well as the ACC Academic Honor Roll.

Brandon Corace (Naples, Fla.) is another senior who will be counted on during the spring schedule. Corace was one of five Hokies to post at least 20 singles wins last season and was 7-4 in ACC contests.

Yoann Re (Jr., Verdun, Quebec, Canada), No. 20 in the Mideast Region preseason singles rankings, has been solid through his first two years in Blacksburg, and more of the same is expected this season. Re advanced to the quarterfinals of the ITA/Wilson Mideast Regional after posting 26 singles and 26 doubles win last year and was named to the ACC Academic Honor Roll.

Perhaps the most pleasant surprise last season was the play of Sebastien Jacques (So., Magog, Quebec, Canada) who, as a freshman led the team with 29 singles victories while collecting 21 more in doubles. Jacques was 8-3 in ACC action and will be a solid force in the middle of the lineup. He is an ITA Scholar Athlete and was named to both the All-ACC Academic Men’s tennis team and to the ACC Academic Honor Roll.

Preston Lemon (Roanoke, Va.) is a senior who has been hampered by illness and injury since joining the program. Lemon finally was healthy in the fall and won four singles matches.

Jonathan Pine (Vienna, Va.) is one of the five freshmen who will be looked upon to add to the team’s depth. Pine was a member of the 2007 Junior Davis Cup team and helped Flint Hill to three consecutive Virginia Independent School state titles.

Pine’s twin brother, Zachary, was also a standout performer at Flint Hill. He was ranked in the Top 75 nationally in every age group as a junior, including No. 1 in 2006 in the USTA Mid-Atlantic Section Boys 16’s.

Corrado Degle Incerti Tocci (Fr., Reggio Emilia, Italy) is a highly-touted player who advanced to the Round of 16 at the 2007 Italy Circuito Open. Tocci won his flight at the Crimson Tide Fall Invitational and posted six singles along with five doubles victories in the fall.

Patrick Daciek (Fr., Severna Park, Md.) won the 2008 National Collegiate Clay Court Championship in Pittsburgh, Pa. and was ranked No. 29 nationally by tennisrecruiting.com.

Luka Somen (Fr., Karlovac, Croatia) was the 2007 Boys’ 18 Croatian junior outdoor singles and doubles champion. Somen was ranked the No. 1 junior player in Croatia and No. 31 in the men’s national ranking. He won his flight at the Steve Baras Collegiate Fall Classic and teamed with Delgado de Robles to upset Virginia’s 33rd-ranked doubles team to capture the UVa Ranked Plus One tournament.

Another challenging schedule awaits this year’s edition of the Virginia Tech men’s tennis team. The Hokies return eight players from last year’s 16-9 squad that finished with a No. 28 national ranking and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season.

Once again, the Hokies will face a very difficult dual-match schedule in the spring, featuring 18 teams ranked in the final Top-75 poll last season. The Atlantic Coast Conference, featuring 11 nationally-ranked teams last season, will prove to be a tremendous challenge for Tech this season. In fact, seven of the 12 ACC schools were selected to compete in the 2007 NCAA Men’s Tennis Team Championship.

The dual-match season opens with the Hokies participating in the ITA National Indoor Championships. The first- and second rounds will be held Jan. 31-Feb.1 with the Hokies facing New Mexico in the Columbus, Ohio Regional. The host Buckeyes play Stetson in the other first round match. The February home slate will include matches against the College of Charleston, St. Bonaventure, Boston College and Brown. In March, the Hokies will host Louisville, Georgia Tech and Clemson and conclude the home schedule in April with matches versus North Carolina and Duke. Tech was 9-3 at the Burrows-Burleson Tennis Center last year and has a 74-23 (.763) record at home the last eight years.

The Hokies will face road matches against Penn State, Virginia, Maryland, TCU, Baylor, Florida State, Miami, Virginia Commonwealth, NC State and Wake Forest. The ACC Championships will be held April 16-19 in Cary, N.C.

“Our schedule continues to improve each year which helps us attract players who really want to improve and possibly have professional careers,” said Thompson. “The most exciting addition to the schedule is the expansion of the National Indoor Championships. We are excited to open the season in Columbus, Ohio playing New Mexico. In addition to the National Indoor, our spring break trip will prove to be a very good challenge as we will take on Louisville, TCU and Baylor. The ACC continues to improve each year, and that portion of the schedule will provide the same challenge as in years past."

For updates on Virginia Tech men's tennis, follow the Hokies on Twitter (@VT_MTennis).