Jackson, MS-The Belhaven University men's and women's tennis teams come into the new season with an improved drive to compete in the top of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference. The men's team finished the 2009 season with a 6-12 record which was two wins better than the previous year. The women's team improved their record and finished with an 8-11 overall record. The men and the women also made it to the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament semifinals. Blazer head coach Levi Patton begins his second season at the helm of the men's and women's programs. The Belhaven men's and women's tennis teams will host Co-Lin Community College for a scrimmage match on Saturday at 12:00 PM.

The Blazers have a great foundation to build on as they come into the 2010 season. The men's tennis team will have a number of returners and newcomers for 2010. The key returning players for the men include sophomore Henry Mandell and junior Joshua Sturgis. They are both projected to fill the number 1 and number 6 singles positions correspondingly. Newcomers for the men include Trey Woods, Robby Wright, Elliot Clark, and Blake Hilgenkemp.

On the women's side, the Blazers lost most of the 2009 team so it will be a rebuilding year. The key returning players for the women include sophomores Kristen Kelly and Mary Khristyne Young. Newcomers include Natalia Krier, Tiffany Myles, Rachel Earnhart, and Margaret Davenport. Freshmen Krier and junior Myles will look to anchor the top two spots in the rotation.

Coach Patton sees the 2010 season as a rebuilding and growing year that offers a lot of potential. "We should be able to double our wins from last year", Patton says. “All of the players have worked extremely hard both on the courts and in the weight room.” Patton goes onto to say that “All of the players have bought into the history and tradition of the program here at Belhaven. When a school has won a national championship and 17 conference championships, it says something about the school itself. It is only a matter of time before the program is back at that level. It's exciting to see the groundwork being laid and the foundation is now in place. Now it is up to the players".

The Belhaven tennis facility underwent a complete renovation, including resurfacing, new nets, trash cans, score keepers, and wind screens. Saturday's match with Co-Lin Community College is set to get underway at 12 PM.