Scots Traveling to Hilton Head, S.C., for Seven Matches

Hayden Schilling

Having lost two close matches to start the 2008 season, The College of Wooster will now take its annual spring break trip to Hilton Head, S.C., where it is scheduled to play seven matches from Wednesday, March 12, to Thursday, March 20. The Fighting Scots’ first match down there will be against fellow North Coast Athletic Conference foe Ohio Wesleyan University (2-6, 0-3 NCAC). The trip will also feature regional foes Hope College (2-2) and the University of St. Thomas (3-2). Last year, Wooster went 5-1 in its matches at Hilton Head.

Season Preview: The Scots had a run of three consecutive top-three finishes in the NCAC come to an end last spring when the Fighting Scots were upset by Allegheny College in the third-place match at the conference tourney. In 2008, Wooster hopes to move back up into the top-three, but it will have to do so without two all-NCAC players who graduated.

That will put seniors Dave Albrechta (Fremont, Ohio / Fremont Ross) and Grant D’Augustine (Cincinnati, Ohio / Turpin) into prominent leadership roles. Albrechta is expected to man No. 1 singles, as 27 of his 42 career starts (18-24) have come in the top half of the lineup, highlighted by going 7-4 at No. 2 as a sophomore. D’Augustine, a lefty who has steadily improved his game while with the Scots, enters his final campaign with 25 singles wins already to his credit (25-29).

Pat Grab (Erie, Pa. / Cathedral Prep) and Jeremy Dominik (Saint Marys, Ohio / Memorial), both of the junior class, start the year penciled in at third and fourth singles. Grab posted the second-most victories on the team last season, going 12-7 overall, with most of those coming at No. 4 and No. 5. Dominik also was a regular in the starting lineup last spring, primarily at No. 6 (5-3), and possesses 13 career wins (13-9).

The bottom-third of the singles order could fluctuate. Those vying for time are senior Andrew Garnett (Boulder, Colo. / Fairview), juniors Rob Ashmead (Grand Rapids, Mich. / City) and Chris Collen (Granville, Ohio / Granville), sophomore Ben Edwards (Durham, N.C. / Durham Academy), and a five-member freshman class – Ethan Arenstein (Cincinnati, Ohio / Sycamore), Ben Gartin (Ann Arbor, Mich. / Greenhills School), Brad Palanski (Sharon, Pa. / Sharon), Andrew Retzler (Wooster, Ohio / Wooster), and David Small (Kingston, Jamaica / Campion College). Collen is the lone returning letterwinner of the group, despite missing significant time due to injuries. Garnett, Ashmead, and Edwards have gained most of their experience in doubles, while Arenstein leads the first-years.