Hacksensack, NJ -- Assistant Coach Jonathan Buchman of the Northeast Conference Champion Fairleigh Dickinson men’s and women’s tennis teams revealed the Knights' lineups with the addition of incoming freshmen and transfer students for the upcoming 2012-13 season, announced Wednesday.
The women’s squad, which finished 16-8 and lost three seniors to graduation from last year’s NCAA Tournament team, will welcome Celine Maier, Dina Guzairova and Nicole Chis.
Maier, a native of Nuremberg, Germany, graduated from Bertolt-Brecht-Schule Nurnberg. Entering FDU as a true freshman, she ranked as high as 181 in the German national women's senior rankings. “Celine is an excellent student-athlete who we expect to make a strong contribution to our team from the onset,” said Buchman.
Guzairova, who is a transfer student from the University of South Carolina, will have three years of eligibility after playing her freshman season with the Gamecocks during the 2011-12 campaign. Hailing from Sochi, Russia, Guzairova won the first seven matches of her singles career and finished with an 8-2 singles record, including a 1-1 record at No. 6 singles last year. In doubles, she compiled a 4-4 mark in helping South Carolina reach as high as No. 22 in the national rankings."Dina has performed well on a nationally ranked Division I tennis team. We are pleased to have such a strong and experienced player join our program,” Buchman commented.
Chis is a local product from Highland Park High School in Highland Park, NJ. Chis, who signed during the early signing period in November, ranked as high as 22nd in the USTA Eastern Section and was a four-star recruit according to tennisrecruiting.net. "Nicole brings valuable tournament experience to FDU and is very enthusiastic about being a Knight," Buchman said.
After an NCAA Tournament berth and a 15-9 mark, the men’s team will add Markus Sjoberg and Julien Phillipe into the mix to a team that graduated two seniors.
Sjoberg, a Tyreso, Sweden native and Varmdo Kommun graduate, ranked as high as 28th nationally in the juniors in Sweden. "Markus is an excellent student-athlete who in joining FDU raises the level of our team.” Buchman commented
Phillipe, who enters the program as a sophomore transfer from Passy Saint Honore D'Eylau in France, will have three years to make his mark for the Burgundy and Blue. "Julien has had much success playing in France. His aggressive style of play and enthusiasm for the game will be assets to the team," Buchman said.