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Tennis Team to Play Three Matches in Florida

Mids to face #9 North Carolina Wednesday

	Ramsey Lemaich

March 11, 2008

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- The Navy tennis team will play a trio of matches this week on the team's annual trip to Florida for spring break. The Mids will face both Appalachian State and North Carolina Wednesday, then will conclude the trip with a Thursday match against Bethune-Cookman.

"We feel good about how we are playing right now," said Navy head coach John Officer. "The players are competing hard and are eager for the next match. Each of the teams we will face on our trip will provide a nice challenge for us."

In addition to the matches, Navy will spend some time at the Malivai Washington Kids Foundation in Jacksonville, Fla. Washington, the former top-ranked collegiate player at Michigan and a finalist at Wimbledon in 1996, started the Foundation in 1994 and it has since enriched the lives of over 14,000 Jacksonville youth since its inception. One of the many programs the foundation offers is the Tennis-and-Tutoring after school program, which the Mids have participated in on a number of their past spring break trips.

The foundation has moved to a new headquarters this year and Navy's matches against both Appalachian State and North Carolina will be played at the new complex. The Mids will play the Mountaineers at 9 a.m. and the Tar Heels at 4 p.m.

"We are also pleased to be playing at Malavai's foundation," said Officer. "We have developed a nice relationship with the program over the years and will enjoy competing in front of the kids."

Appalachian State enters a Tuesday match against Bethune-Cookman with a 2-4 record on the year. North Carolina is ranked ninth in the country and has posted a 9-3 record on the season. Additionally, a pair of singles players and two doubles teams for the Tar Heels also have earned a national ranking.

Navy's last match of the trip will be played against Bethune-Cookman at City Island Tennis Complex in Daytona Beach (1 p.m.). The Wildcats have compiled a 2-6 record on the year heading into their Tuesday match against Appalachian State.

The Mids enter the trip with a 10-5 record on the year, with all four of their losses coming to nationally ranked teams (#49 East Tennessee State, #75 Maryland, #42 Clemson, #30 North Carolina State).

One of the keys to Navy's success this season has been the play of its doubles teams. The Mids have won the lone available doubles point in 11 of their 15 matches this year and have compiled an overall doubles record of 30-11 on the season. Navy's No. 1 team of Nate Nelms (Jr., St. Mary's, Ga.) and Johnny Waters (Jr., Papillion, Neb.) has posted an 8-3 record, its No. 2 tandem of Alex James (Sr., Visalia, Calif.) and Ramsey Lemaich (So., Danville, Calif.) is 8-4 this year and the No. 3 team of Nick Birger (Fr., Belleville, Ill.) and Jason Hill (Jr., Marietta, Ga.) has compiled a 7-2 mark this spring.