Feb. 8, 2005

Charleston, SC - The Citadel tennis coach Toby Simpson hopes his men's team does more than just win a set today when the Bulldogs play their first home match of the season, although Coastal Carolina should provide plenty of competition in the 2 p.m. match.

The Bulldogs have played twice on the road without winning a set, but the opposition came from nationally ranked Tennessee and North Carolina State. The road ahead should be a little less difficult for the Bulldogs, but Simpson realizes it will take time for his young team to find itself.

"Tennessee and North Carolina State were very good teams," Simpson said. "It's going to be a building process for us, but by the time they (his players) get a little older, we'll be seasoned and ready to play some tennis."

Five of the eight players on the Bulldogs' roster are in their first year at the Citadel, including the top three players who are all foreigners. Daniel Dossetor of Griffith, Australia, is the No. 1 player. "He's going to be a good one," said Simpson, in his third year as The Citadel's head coach. "He has loads of talent."

Simpson landed the Australian with the help of former assistant coach Adam Carey, also an Australian who is now an assistant at the Nevada-Las Vegas. "I didn't go down there (to Australia). I found him and Adam knew him. He was from the same academy Adam went to."

James Eason of Christchurch, New Zealand, and Ananda Sawmynaden, from the island of Mauritius off the coast of Africa, have alternated between Nos. 2 and 3. Simpson discovered Eason through some of his friends and coaches from New Zealand.

While Sawmynaden is only a freshman at The Citadel, he is a junior eligibility-wise, arriving at The Citadel after attending New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell, N.M., the same school Roger Staubach attended before winning football's Heisman Trophy at the Naval Academy.

"I'm good friends with the coach at New Mexico Military," said Simpson. "We have a good recruiting time with those guys coming from the military junior college. They want to matriculate to a four-year school and finish their degree."

Simpson hasn't decided on whether Eason or Sawmynaden will play No. 2. "We've got six matches to declare our lineup for the season," he said.

Simpson guided the Bulldogs to a fourth-place regular-season finish in the Southern Conference last season behind East Tennessee State, Furman and the College of Charleston. The Southern Mississippi graduate played club tennis in Germany after college, then was a graduate assistant at his alma mater before spending one year as an assistant at Penn State. He arrived at The Citadel in 2001 as an assistant coach. His wife, Kelly, is the senior women's administrator for athletics at The Citadel.

Nicholas Medica, a sophomore from Atlanta, played No. 4 in the first two matches, while London sophomore Derek Jose and Mexican junior David Lara played Nos. 5 and 6, respectively.

The Citadel also will be at home Saturday for a noon match against Mercer.