GREENVILLE, S.C. – The Conference Carolinas men's tennis head coaches' preseason poll has been released and the Converse University men's tennis team has been selected to finish seventh this season.
 
Last season, Converse finished sixth overall with a 10-12 record and a 5-5 record in Conference Carolinas play. The Valkyries were led by Conference Carolinas Freshman of the Year Merlin Bellet as the team capped off their inaugural season with a first-round tournament win over North Greenville.
 
Converse finished with 40 total points in the poll this season and finished one spot back of Lees-McRae who finished with 41 points in the poll. The Valkyries finished ahead of North Greenville, King and Chowan.
 
Belmont Abbey was selected to win the poll with 76 total points and received 7 first place votes in the poll. Mount Olive is slated to finish runner-up with 69 total points and received 3 first place points in the poll. Francis Marion was picked to finish third with 62 points, while Emmanuel and Barton were selected to finish fourth and fifth respectively.
 
The Converse University men's tennis team will start the season with a home match against Anderson University on February 3^rd at 1:00 p.m.
 

School	Total (First Place Votes)
Belmont Abbey	76 (7)
Mount Olive	69 (3)
Francis Marion	62
Emmanuel	57
Barton	54
Lees-McRae	41
Converse	40
North Greenville	23
King	15
Chowan	13

 
2023 Conference Carolinas Men's Tennis Players to Watch
 
 Barton
 

• Johan Holgersson, So., Bromma, Sweden (2022 Third Team All-Conference Carolinas)
• Hannes Tylehed, So., Stockholm, Sweden 
• Philip Nordberg, Sr., Mariefred, Sweden

 
 Belmont Abbey

• Nelson Stafford, Sr., Baton Rouge, Louisiana (2022 Second Team All-Conference Carolinas, Conference Carolinas All-Tournament Team; 2021 Second Team All-Conference Carolinas)
• Xaveam Van Wijk, Jr., Willemstad, Curaçao (2022 First Team All-Conference Carolinas) 
• Andres Golindano, Jr., Fort Lauderdale, Florida (2022 Conference Carolinas All-Tournament Most Valuable Player)

 
 Chowan

• Santino Jose Sormani, Sr., San Luis, Argentina

 
Converse

• Merlin Bellet, So., Agde, France (2022 Conference Carolinas Freshman of the Year, First Team All-Conference Carolinas)
• Leopold Morel, So., Saintes, France 

Francis Marion
 

• Liam Day, Jr., Edenvale, South Africa (2022 First Team All-Conference Carolinas, Conference Carolinas All-Tournament Team)
• Harri Lloyd-Evans, So., Newport, South Wales, United Kingdom (2022 Second Team All-Conference Carolinas) 
• Leonel Gonzalez, Jr., Morelia, Michoacan, Mexico

 
 King
 

• Rhys Halcrow, So., Portland, England
• Andre Schiabel, Jr., Sao Carlos, Brazil 
• Alex Sodre, Sr., Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

 
 Lees-McRae
 

• Max Borisov, So., Sofia, Bulgaria 
• Facundo Perlov, Fr., Buenos Aires, Argentina  
• Landon Church, Sr., Wilkesboro, North Carolina

 
 North Greenville
 

• Dean Kingsley, Fr., Duford, Georgia
• Joao Di Salvi, Fr., Valinhos, São Paulo, Brazil 

Mount Olive

• Guilherme Zotin de Oliveira, Jr., Rio Claro, Brazil (2021 Second Team All-Conference Carolinas, Conference Carolinas All-Tournament Most Valuable Player)
• Daniel Hammond, Fr., Whangarei, New Zealand 
• Israel Rodriguez Rojas, Sr., Guayaquil, Ecuador (2022 All-Tournament Team; 2021 Second Team All-Conference Carolinas, All-Tournament Team)

 
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