DAYTON – The University of Dayton men's tennis team will kick off the 2021 season Wednesday with a trip to Louisville to take on the Cardinals in a doubleheader. The first match will begin at 11 a.m.
 
"It's been almost a year since we've competed as a team," head coach Ryan Meyer said. "Our guys are really looking forward to competing against Louisville. Hopefully we will start fast and compete at a high level."
 
This will also be the first match for Louisville, who returns all three student-athletes who played No. 1-3 singles last season with senior Tin Chen leading the way. Chen is currently ranked 71^st in Division I according to ITA. In 10 matches at the No. 1 single spot in 2020, Chen finished with a 6-4 record, including one win against a nationally ranked opponent.
 
This marks the second-consecutive season the Flyers will open the spring campaign against the Cardinals, with the contest serving as the first of five consecutive away matches for Dayton. However, once UD ends that stretch, 11 of the team's final 13 matches will come at home at South Regency Tennis Center in Miamisburg, Ohio.
 
The Flyers will again face a rigorous schedule, including two matches at #25 Kentucky on Feb. 3 and two home Atlantic 10 matchups against Duquesne and Saint Louis on March 26 and 28, respectively. Those matches give the Flyers a glimpse of what they could see at the Atlantic 10 Championships which will be April 29-May 2.
 
UD's 2021 roster looks almost identical to last year's team which finished the shortened 2020 season 8-8, while adding two newcomers: Ronit Hiryur and Erik Eliasson. The returnees include sophomores Connor Bruce and Georgi Mavrodiev who were named Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week a combined seven times in the 2020 campaign. Steven Karl, Will Harper, Parker Banning, Jayman Jhattu, Joe and Matt DeMarco, Max DeCurtins and Oliver Dunne round out the rest of the returnees.
 
"The team has been working hard," Meyer said. "The guys all came back in shape and have put in a ton of work. We welcomed new members to the family with Erik and Ronit. I think this could be a special year if we stay healthy and hungry."