Promising men's tennis campaign halted by season cancellation

DEFIANCE, Ohio – The Defiance College men's tennis team, in the heart of preparation for their March 18 season-opener, had their season hopes abruptly halted amidst the coronavirus outbreak.

Steve Oberlin, after a stint as head coach 2007-2013, returned to the program in August of 2019 and was looking forward to being at the helm of the men's program once again.

"Things were going great, we have the indoor facility [George M. Smart Center] to practice, so we can practice in perfect conditions on a real tennis court," said Oberlin. "The guys were getting good reps in both singles and doubles.

"I was looking forward to seeing the program since the last time I was here," added Oberlin. "I think we had a good chance of making the conference [Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference] tournament this year with the return of our top two players in Ethan Harris and Jared Schnee."

Ethan Harris (Huntertown, Ind./Carroll) looked to lead the Purple and Gold once again after making a significant impact in his first-year campaign. The sophomore played all 15 matches in 2019 at No. 1 singles while leading the program with six victories in solo action. After the strong freshman campaign, the native Hoosier was named an HCAC Honorable Mention.

Jared Schnee (Bellevue/Bellevue) sought to continue his impact on the program in his first season with Oberlin leading the charge. The junior earned a spot on the Christopher M. Ragsdale All-Sportsmanship Team for his efforts during the 2019 season, which included featuring at No. 2 singles in all 15 contests.

Another pair of returners, Micaiah Cox (Fort Recovery/Fort Recovery) and Seth Mangus (Urbana/Urbana), were slated to begin their junior and sophomore seasons, respectively.

Cox served as a utility player in the 2019 season, playing No. 4 and No. 5 singles while also pairing with each of his Yellow Jacket teammates in doubles action. Mangus featured in all but one match for DC last season while learning his way around the court in his first season of play.

After the arduous task of competing with only five players during the 2019 season, the Yellow Jackets added two new faces to the roster before the cancellation of the season. Lie'Vi Stewart (Guston, Ky./Meade County), also a member of the Defiance men's soccer program, joined the team for his first season. Ben Zedaker (Defiance, Ohio/Defiance) was the second addition to the program.

The Yellow Jackets were picked to finish eighth in a vote among league coaches in early February. Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology landed first, seeking its sixth-straight HCAC crown. Harris and Schnee continued their accolade collection with their inclusion on the 2020 HCAC Athletes to Watch List.  

Oberlin concluded in saying, "I was really looking forward to the season, and I know all the players were ready to start playing. Ultimately, we wanted to make the conference tournament and compete in every match."