The future looks bright for the Ragin' Cajuns Men's tennis team after one of the most successful recruiting seasons in a long time. UL head coach Mark Jeffrey brings in eight new faces to this year's squad after ending last season with a flurry of injuries.
"Last year we really did not have the depth when we lost three starters early on for the entire season," said Jeffrey. "This year's squad could overcome that, we have great depth this year."

Returning players include Carlin Murray, Yanick Mandl and Robert Voss. All three are expected to have great years after success on the courts last season.

Murray primarily played from the No. 1 position, posting a 12-8 record. Mandl played from the No. 4 spot last season en route to a 10-8 record and is expected to contend for a starting position at the top of the Cajuns' lineup. Voss got hot at the end of the year, winning his last seven matches in-a-row to finish at 10-8 on the season.

Ted Nilsson, a newcomer from Malmo, Sweden, should be a solid player for the Cajuns. The highly recruited Swedish Junior was top-six for his age group.

Oscar Pachon, a transfer from Tennessee Tech, who finished 17-4 last year for the Golden Eagles will also be a solid addition.

Ben Lee and Elliot Minvielle both had great summers before enrolling in classes at UL. Lee hails from New Canaan, Connecticut and had close matches with players ranked among the top-30 in the country.

Minvielle is a highly-touted player from Acadiana. Over the summer, he defeated a nationally-ranked top-20 player. A native of New Iberia, Minvielle has taken Louisiana tennis by storm over the past summer. He advanced to the finals of the Louisiana State Qualifying Tournament and defeated the No. 1 player in the South along the way.

"Elliot is so fast on the court and will only get so much better as he progresses," said Jeffrey. "His game has a lot of upside as we look to improve his serve and strength over the course of the year. He is a great guy; all of his teammates have really taken to him."

Rising talents, Daniel Alban and Frankie Hoar, are expected to push for a starting position. Albon was ranked top-five in juniors in Colombia and Hoar is rising fast in the British Junior Rankings.

Brandon Farine, an incoming transfer from Texas Tech, should break in immediately in the doubles lineup.

"Brandon has a great serve and forehand and should be a great addition right away," added Jeffrey.

"Every one of these guys can really play," said Jeffrey. "The practices are going to be great to watch as we have never been 11 guys deep. We have always been 6 or 7 deep which has left us open to injuries in the past."

The Cajuns kick off action September 17-19 at home when they host the Ragin' Cajuns Invitational. Teams include Louisiana State, Arkansas, Tulane, Southern Mississippi, Xavier, Oachita Baptist and Lamar University. Entry is free to the public and will run all day.