Auburn Tennis head coach Bobby Reynolds announced on Wednesday that the team captains for the 2022-23 season will be Tyler Stice and Spencer Gray.
Stice, a senior studying liberal arts, is beginning his fourth season with the team and has now been named a captain for the second year in a row.
"Everything that he brings to the team on and off the court is incredible. Tyler is our leader with his passion and the way that he fights," Reynolds said about the senior. "I'm excited to see him get another year under his belt. As far as him being a captain last year, I thought he did a great job so we decided he deserved the honor once again."
When he was asked about the honor, Stice said he appreciated the trust put in him by his coaches.
"It's nice to know that the last two years I've been here the coaches trust me to go out and lead the team," said the Atlanta native. "Both times I've been elected, it has felt pretty special."
Last season, Stice qualified for NCAA singles for a second time and was named all-SEC for the second straight season. He finished the spring 15-10 in singles play, facing 20 ranked opponents.
Spencer Gray, a senior studying business who was named as a PNC Achiever in the fall of 2021, was also named as a team captain on Wednesday.
"Chris [Hooshyar] and I made the decision to have two captains this season, and I felt that Spencer Gray is a guy that comes out to practice every single day and just gives everything he has. It doesn't matter what is going on away from the court," Reynolds said about Gray. "He is a great leader in the academic world and with building this team. He has set himself up with leadership courses through all Auburn You and really takes a liking to it."
The Boca Raton, Fla. native feels that he has grown as a leader and is ready for the prestigious position.
"It means a lot to be named a captain this season. I feel like as the years have gone on, I've grown a lot as a leader. I love all these guys so I'm really excited to be a leader for them throughout the year. Also, I was in CONNECT last year and I believe that experience will help me lead this team."
Gray went 5-0 in singles last spring and was named to the SEC academic honor roll, the AD honor roll, and was an ITA Scholar-Athlete.
Reynolds explained that being a more physical player is a big focus for the team this season and that his new captains exemplify that well.
"Both of those guys are probably some of our most physical guys. Whether it's on the court, in the conditioning, or on the track, just the way that they play and the way they practice is physical. When you have captains and leaders like that, it becomes infectious and it makes everybody else around you want to put as much work in as you're doing. That definitely played into our decision to put them together as captains."
The Auburn Men's Tennis team will kick off their fall schedule at the Clemson Fall Invite on Friday, September 23rd through 25th in Clemson, S.C.
