By Zack Kirby

The Chattanooga men's tennis team concluded the 2014-15 spring season under head coach Carlos Garcia, who finished his 14^th year over the program. UTC loses seniors Gino Delavalle and Pavels Grigorjevs to graduation, but return the majority of their roster.

Recently, Garcia was selected as a member of the U.S. team in the Sorlien Trophy Competition that took place from June 12-14 in Toronto, Canada. The competition hosted 34 different countries, where the United States faced off against Canada.

Garcia, who is ranked No.20 in the country for singles in the 50+ age group, describes his recent experience and his team's fall preparation in this Q&A.

How was your experience representing the U.S. team and playing in the Sorlien Trophy games?
"It was great and a real thrill to be a part of that competition against Canada. The scoring system was what made the experience very unique, because it was like college tennis where you have a lineup of one through six. We had six singles and three doubles teams. It was a great comradery with my new teammates and it was kind of neat to be on the other side of coaching and being in a lineup playing.

"Even though we didn't retain the trophy, it was a great feeling. This was my first time playing for the U.S. and I was somewhat nervous and apprehensive, but it was definitely an experience that I will hope to be a part of again.

"I was able to win both of my singles matches at No.6 and contributed as much as I could, so hopefully another opportunity down the road in another one of these international matches will present itself. It's a great experience and getting to meet a bunch of experienced and influential people in the game of tennis is a win win for me."

What can you take away from this past spring season? 
"We are right there, because we could have had several of those regular-season matches swing our way despite what the score read. After watching the matches, they were very competitive and with that being said, we have to get our team a little more unified to where they are playing for not just themselves, but for each other.

"I think we can work on that by changing the structure and I think the key to our success is playing hard for each other, leaving it all out on the court and believing in ourselves as a team. Last year, we were so close but we definitely needed to find that extra edge."

With two seniors graduating, what do you see as the potential for your returning upperclassmen?
"We're going to really fall on the shoulders of Luke Saunders, John Peacey and Nick Wingord as our three seniors coming back, because we need those guys to be our strong leaders on the court for the rest of the team. I believe that is something that can help us be a competitor in our conference and we need our team to really come together and follow the leadership of ours seniors.

"John and Luke have been here for four years, so they're really going to be passionate about getting our program back in the right direction. Nick Wingord, who is a transfer entering his second season, has already bought into our program and it seems like he's been here for four years, so we're going to rely heavily on their leadership."

Luke Saunders (left) and Nick Wingord (right) will look to have a strong senior season.

What are some areas that you're focusing on for your team this offseason?
"Getting healthy is going to be big for us, because having two or three players that are managing injuries during the season is just sometimes how it goes. With a good offseason program that we have, I hope that they will become stronger starting off in the fall, because that is an important time for us to take our stamina and conditioning to another level.

"We're going to play in some tournaments over the fall, but the main focus is getting stronger, getting fit and hopefully using all of that to come together and build that overall team chemistry. The offseason is a good opportunity for some of our guys could use this little break to heal up and take care of some of those injuries that haunted them over the season.

"In that time, we hope that some of the summer tournaments that are offered like the ITA's [Intercollegiate Tennis Association] will be helpful. I hope that several of my players will get to participate in a few of those to keep that match toughness and have us ready by the third week of August."

Other than the seniors, who else do you think could have a potential breakout season? 
"The one thing we do have is plenty of depth on our team, which will continue next year. The Atlanta boys Austin Boaz and Derrick Brown are here during the summer and I expect them to come into their junior year and do well. Now being juniors, they know the philosophy and I'm excited about their upcoming season.

"We also have other players who got a little bit more experience in the program last year like Nic Wilson, who transferred from Virginia Tech. He's a sophomore, but he plays like he's older and we'll have him for two more years. He was a big impact for us last season and I'll have him for another two years. He can be very influential because he's sort of a man above his years and his experience can be big for us.

"I'm also excited about our new freshman, Paul LaHue, from Memphis. He's a very good recruit for me and just played at the TVOC [Tennessee Valley Open Championships] for me last weekend. He's really familiar with the Chattanooga team and played doubles with Austin Boaz, so that transition from high school to college has already been jumpstarted a little bit."

Virginia Tech transfer Nic Wilson wrapped up his first season with the Mocs and will enter his junior year.

What are your main goals for this upcoming fall and spring season?
"Well we definitely want to have a solid fall that consists of us being injury-free and staying stronger for us to be more prepared for the start of the season on January 16. During the regular season we were bit by the 1-point loss that sort of just had a chain reaction. We just couldn't quite get over the hump and I believe the non-conference portion of the season gives you some confidence and a little bit more of an understanding of your lineup for when the conference matches begin.

"We know that teams like ETSU and Furman have set a high standard in our conference and that is very motivating to us. We were right there with those teams and we need to just find a little something extra in the non-conference season, so we can carry that momentum into March and April."

 What is your favorite thing about being a head coach?
"At the end of the day, I love building a strong relationship for my players. If you work hard for them and they notice that, then you know that they are going to play hard for you, and that's a real pleasure. I tell my team that learning through your experiences can be a benefit.

"Tennis can be somewhat of a cruel sport sometimes, but it can also be very rewarding. Last season, tennis was pretty cruel to us with some close losses, but I think those experiences will hopefully be rewarding to us this season."