ATLANTA--The Georgia State men's tennis team welcomed four newcomers to the program that will begin competing now in the spring season, head coach Chase Hodges announced.
The incoming freshmen class arrived at Georgia State from locations all across the world and from the United States. The four signees join freshman Ismael Lahlou, who arrived prior to last fall semester, to make up a strong freshmen class on one of the youngest teams in NCAA men's tennis. The team must gel quickly as it begins its season this weekend (Jan. 14) at the Florida Gulf Coast Invite in Fort Myers, Fla.
"I feel strongly this four-man class will make our team stronger than we were last season," third-year head coach Chase Hodges said, "Our success will depend on how quickly our new guys can develop. We will be one of the youngest teams in the country, but I also feel that we will be an extremely talented team. I look forward to seeing these guys compete this spring."
Sofiane Chevallier arrives at Georgia State from Paris, France. He intends to major in business at Georgia State University. Chevallier competed on the Open International Juniors circuit in France in the spring last year prior to coming to GSU. He attended the CNED Institution in Paris for prep school.
"Sofiane has had some impressive results in France and we feel he will make an immediate impact in singles and doubles for us," Hodges said, "I feel Sofiane is a great addition for GSU."
Matias Hatem joins Georgia State after posting impressive results in the tennis-rich country of Argentina. Hatem hails from the city of San Miguel de Tucuman in the Tucuman Province in the northern part of Argentina. He has been ranked No. 1 in the city of San Miguel the past four years and was named "Sportist of the Year" in the province of Tucuman by his local newspaper, "La Gaceta," in 2008. He competed in the main draw of the Argentina Futures events in 2008 and 2009, which features the top players in the country. He studied at the Instituto Cervantes prior to enrolling at Georgia State University this spring.
"Matias was one of the top ranked players in Argentina and I'm confident that he will be one of the top freshmen in the CAA," Hodges said, "He has a game that is suited very well for college tennis and is an excellent doubles player."
Jose Ortiz comes to Georgia State from Madrid, Spain. Ortiz brings a variety of skills on the court to GSU after competing in Madrid.
"Jose is an extremely solid player from Spain and is going to present problems to our opposition," Hodges said, "He knows how to win and is another valuable addition."
Michael Vallejo, originally born in Lima, Peru, comes to Georgia State after spending the last year and a half at Miami Dade College in Miami, Fla. Vallejo was homeschooled in Miami and played tennis one year at Coral Gables High School. He earned the Sportsmanship Award from the USTA Florida Committee in 2005, 2007 and 2008. He was also named Miami-Dade County Junior Athlete of the Year by the City of Miami and has played on Peru's Davis Cup team since 2008. Vallejo was ranked No. 1 in Florida in Boys U10, U12, U14 and U18 age groups during his prep career. Vallejo, a sophomore at GSU, hails from a tennis background as both his father and mother are tennis coaches.
"Michael is a five-star recruit according to tennisrecruiting.net and has a ton of playing experience and is a very consistent player," Hodges said, "He has consistently been ranked among the top 50 players in the USA in his age group. I feel Michael's best tennis is ahead of him."
The Panthers enter the spring ranked No. 65 in the nation according to the ITA Men's National Team Rankings. The Panthers return this season after posting a 21-6 record last spring. The 21 wins were a school record as the team fell in the CAA semifinals to eventual champion UNCW. Two players earned All-CAA honors, headlined by junior Victor Valente earning First Team Singles honors. Sophomore Thomas Cook earned Second Team Singles while Valente and Cook were named Third Team Doubles.
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