Gamecocks with Five Entries in ITA Preseason Rankings
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina men’s tennis will open its Fall 2024 campaign with three singles and two doubles entries in the ITA Preseason Rankings. Senior Casey Hoole leads the singles crew at No. 45 and teams with fellow senior Connor Thomson as the Gamecocks’ top doubles team at No. 24.
Hoole finished last season with a 19-21 overall singles record that included 21 matches against nationally ranked opponents as he played mostly in the No. 2 singles position in dual matches. Among those wins was an upset of then-No. 11 Karlis Ozolins of Illinois in the ITA All-American Championship consolation quarterfinals last fall.
Thomson is coming off an injury-shortened 2023-24 campaign and enters the 2024-25 season at No. 65 in singles. The fifth-year senior and three-time All-SEC selection won at least 30 singles matches in each of his last two seasons on the court, playing the Nos. 2 and 3 dual match positions for the Gamecocks.
Sophomore Jelani Sarr rounds out the singles preseason entries at No. 118 following his 27-21 debut collegiate season. Five of his 12 wins in tournament play came against ranked opponents, including a top-20 victory.
Sarr and junior Lucas Andrade da Silva come in at No. 82 in the preseason doubles rankings. The pair went 9-6 last season, including a 4-4 mark in dual matches playing in the Nos. 2 and 3 spots.
South Carolina’s full fall schedule will be released soon as the team kicks off its 15th season under head coach Josh Goffi.
Continue to check GamecocksOnline.com and the team’s social media accounts (@GamecockMTennis) for the most up-to-date information on the men’s tennis season.
