NCAA Appearances - 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006; 2004 NCAA Champions QUICK FACTS GENERAL INFORMATION Location: Waco, Texas University Founded: 1845, by the Republic of Texas Enrollment: 14,040 22 2277 Conference: Big 12 Region: South Central INFORMATION 2006 REVIEW Facility: Baylor Tennis Center Season Recap 28-29 Colors: Green and Gold 2007 Season Outlook 2-3 Team Results 30 Nickname: Bears 2007 Roster 4 Individual Records 31 President: Dr. John Lilley 2007 Team Picture 4 Big 12 Conference 32 Director of Athletics: Ian McCaw Athletic Department Phone: 254.710.1234 Ticket Information Phone: 254.710.1000 COACHING INFORMATION Head Coach: Matt Knoll Alma Mater: Washburn University, 1989 Career Record: 241-73 (.768)/11 seasons Record at Baylor: 233-57 (.803)/10 seasons 55 33 Big 12 Record: 62-12 (.844)/10 seasons 33 Assistant Coach: Kyle Spencer COACHING STAFF HISTORY Alma Mater: USC, 1999 Head Coach Matt Knoll 6-8 All-Time Results 34-36 Volunteer Coach: Reiner Neurohr Assistant Coach Kyle Spencer 9 Letterwinners 37 Alma Mater: Baylor, 2005 I Volunteer Coach Reiner Neurohr 9 Series Results 38-39 Tennis Staff 10 NCAA Appearances 40-45 TEAM INFORMATION N Baylor’s National Champions 46 2006 Record: 25-7 That Championship Season 47 2006 Big 12 Record (Finish): 6-1 (t-1st) F All-Americans 48 2006 Postseason: NCAA Semifinals Big 12 Conference Champions 49 2006 Final ITA Ranking: 4th O Honors 50 Conference Titles (last): 6 (2006) Records 51 NCAA Appearances (last): 9 (2006) Where Are They Now 52 R Lettermen Returning/Lost: 5/2 11 M 11 MEDIA RELATIONS PLAYERS Phone: 254.710.2743 A Michal Kokta 12-13 Fax: 254.710.1369 Matija Zgaga 14-15 Web Site: www.BaylorBears.com T Lars Poerschke 16-17 Men’s Tennis Contacts: Matt Brown 18-19 Julie Bennett, Associate Director of Media Relations I David Galic 20-21 5533 E-Mail: [email protected] Attila Bucko 22 Cell Phone: 254.709.9657 O Denes Lukacs 23 THIS IS BAYLOR Megan Holt, Student Assistant Dominik Mueller 24 Baylor University 54-57 E-Mail: [email protected] Jamie Bishop/Michael Wollitz 25 Waco, Texas 58-59 Staff: N Strength& Conditioning 26 Bears in the Pros 60-61 Nick Joos, Associate AD/Communications Facilities 62-63 Heath Nielsen, Asst. AD/Director of Media Relations NCAA Compliance Guidelines 64 Larry Little, Associate Director/Publications Academics 65 Michael Collins, Assistant Director/Internet Baylor Athletic Highlights 66-67 Jonathan Brown, Assistant Director Athletics Director 68 Sarah Tinsley, Graduate Assistant Baylor Head Coaches 69 Opponent Tennis Contacts 70 Athletic Media Relations 71 CREDITS Baylor Tennis Center 72 Editor: Julie Bennett, Nick Joos Layout & Graphic Design: Julie Bennett Photography: Baylor Photography (Robbie Rogers, Matthew Minard), Waco Tribune-Herald (Rod BAYLOR UNIVERSITY MISSION STATEMENT Aydelotte, Duane Laverty), Julie Bennett The mission of Baylor University is to educate men and women for worldwide leadership and service by inte- Cover Design: John Schaffhauser; Madison, Miss. grating academic excellence and Christian commitment within a caring community. Printing: EBSCO Media; Birmingham, Ala. Copies of the 2007 Baylor Tennis Media Guide are available BAYLOR ATHLETICS MISSION STATEMENT through the Baylor Athletic Media Relations Office for $10 To support the overall mission of the University by providing a nationally competitive intercollegiate athletics (plus $6 for postage and handling). program that attracts, nurtures, and graduates student-athletes who, under the guidance of a high-quality staff, pursue excellence in their respective sports, while representing Baylor with character and integrity. Consistent with the Christian values of the University, the department will carry out this mission in a way that reflects fair and equitable opportunities for all student-athletes and staff. 2006 2007 1 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 - Big 12 Champions SEASON OUTLOOK Baylor men’s tennis enters the 2007 season with high enters the dual match portion of the season ranked No. expectations. The Bears, with a good blend of experience 56. He was ranked No. 4 in the preseason rankings pub- and newcomers, begin dual match competition ranked lished in September, however, after playing only nine No. 2 in the initial Fila/ITA spring rankings. matches during the fall season, he dropped considerably after posting a 6-3 mark in singles during fall competi- “Hope is the word for our team this season, we hope to tion. be one of the top teams in the nation again,” said head coach Matt Knoll. “The culture of the program is set, we Zgaga looks to cap his four-year career at Baylor with have the personnel and the opportunity, it is up to us to his best season yet. As the squad’s most experienced make something of it.” player, Zgaga, one of three lefthanders on the team, enters the spring portion of the season well-rested after Five players return off Baylor’s 2006 NCAA semifinal sitting out the fall schedule. The two-time doubles All- squad that finished ranked No. 4 nationally and ended American (2004 & 2005) ranks among Baylor’s career top the season with a 25-7 record. 10 in doubles career wins, sitting at No. 5 with 80. His 75 career singles victories places him No. 8 on that list. Those returning players, coupled with three very tal- ented freshmen, bring expectations of another excellent With one season of collegiate competition under their season for the Bears. Another newcomer added to the belt, sophomores Matt Brown and David Galic are ready equation is assistant coach Kyle Spencer. The veteran to step up their intensity and contribute to the squad’s coach, with experience on both the collegiate and profes- success. Brown shows the most promise of the two sophs sional levels, joined the program in November and has as he posted a 27-9 singles record as a rookie and main- O already proven to be a valuable addition. tained a team-best 9-5 fall competition mark. Galic, another lefty, made his mark last season in doubles where U Knoll, entering his 11th season as Baylor’s head coach he and his partners posted a 12-2 mark. He played only and 12th overall, brings a 241-73 career record into the four singles matches but could see more singles action T season. At Baylor, he has posted an impressive 233-57 this season. (.803) mark and led the Bears to a 2004 NCAA champi- L onship, a runner-up finish in 2005 and the semifinals in Three freshmen, Attila Bucko, Denes Lukacs and 2006. In addition, his squads have Dominik Mueller, will be counted O claimed six Big 12 Championships, upon to fill the holes left by the O including five straight and his departing players. Lukacs and players have earned All-American Mueller gained some valuable K status 18 times. experience during fall competi- tion. Lukacs finished the fall with Providing the leadership for the a 7-5 singles record including a 2007 Bears will be seniors Michal win over Texas A&M’s ninth-ranked Kokta and Matija Zgaga and junior Jerry Makowski. Mueller was Lars Poerschke. impressive in the fall as well, advancing to the quarterfinals of Kokta enters the season as the the of the ITA South Central team’s highest-ranked player at Regional and qualifying for the No. 17. The two-time All-Big 12 main draw of the ITA-All- performer owns the program’s sec- American. Needless to say, Knoll is ond-best doubles winning percent- definitely counting on Lukacs and age at .826 with 57 wins against Mueller to step into the regular 12 losses. Prior to the start of the lineup and earn some points for 2006-07 campaign he ranked No. 4 the Bears. in singles win percentage at .804 Bucko is somewhat of an and sits at No. 9 on the Baylor sin- unknown among the collegiate gles career win chart with 75. ranks. After graduating from high Kokta has been stellar in Big 12 school a semester early, he joined Conference matches posting a 12-2 the Bears in January and has singles and 10-1 doubles record in embraced the program’s strength his two league seasons. and conditioning and workout pro- Lars Poerschke - 2006 All-American grams. Bucko should be able to Poerschke, a 2006 All-American, step into the lineup and con- 2 2006 2007 NCAA Appearances - 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006; 2004 NCAA Champions SEASON OUTLOOK tribute immedi- six-match ately. league portion 2007 SCHEDULE of their sched- JANUARY “Our newcom- ule on April 22 6 at University of Hawai’i 8 p.m. ers are a super- when they host 12-14† at Sherwood Classic All Day strong group. Oklahoma. 19-21 # at Rice Invitational All Day 27 TAMU-CORPUS CHRISTI 2 p.m. We have high- 30 UL-LAFAYETTE 2 p.m. profile juniors Baylor has who come into won five FEBRUARY the program straight league 2 at Kentucky 1 p.m. 4 at Florida 1 p.m. with high expec- championships 10 UCLA 12 p.m. tations. They and six of the 11 STANFORD 12 p.m. will help us con- last seven. 16-19 + at National Team Indoors All Day tinue to build Under Knoll, 28 at SMU 2 p.m. this program,” Baylor has fin- MARCH said Knoll. ished lower 2 VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH 1 p.m. than second in 4 TCU 1 p.m. As usual, Knoll the league 17 VIRGINIA 6 p.m. 18 GEORGIA TECH 6 p.m. has built an standing on 23 at Nebraska 2 p.m. impressive only one occa- 28 UT-ARLINGTON 6 p.m.