Co-captains lead men's team in '09

Four years ago, the UConn men's tennis team were well on their way to their third consecutive losing season. But head coach Glenn Marshall had winning on his mind when he went out to Michigan to recruit Joey Michaels. The same thing can be said about when Ben Schueler came the short distance from Massachusetts to play for the Huskies.

Today, UConn is 5-4 in the spring, with an 8-5 overall record. The turnaround didn't happen overnight. Schueler and Michaels' first three years in the program were a struggle.

As a team, UConn finished 8-13, 5-15, and 6-9-1 in their first three years. Individually they competed well, but that's the difference between Michaels and Schueler, they care more about how the team does, rather than individual results. Now, as senior captains, they're on pace to lead UConn to its first winning season since 2002. Michaels and Schueler are all a coach could ask for.

"Ben came in fresh and earned some well-deserved playing time. He's a great server and can volley," said coach Marshall. "He is a focused competitor with a team-first attitude. He leads by example, and his strong fight and determination is a reason why he's well-liked."

Ben proved he was a team first guy, when he chose not to compete in singles this year for the good of the team. He knows how important this season is and how strong this team can be.

"This year is our strongest team in 4 years. We had a tough couple of years and we experienced losing. We realized we didn't want to do that anymore. We taught the five freshmen how to win, and we believe we can," Schueler said.

Ben is from Massachusetts, and has started all 4 years at UConn. He once played singles, but now he only focuses on doubles. This spring Schueler will graduate with a degree in healthcare management. His counterpart and co-captain Joey Michaels will graduate with a degree in Marketing. Michaels hails from Michigan and has been a starter all 4 years. The soft-spoken Michaels can fool you with his calm off-court demeanor, but he is scary with a racquet in his hands.

Coach Marshall describes Michaels as a, "Gritty competitor who has strong inner strength. He's grown in his 4 years, and has a never say die attitude."

But the attention Michaels has brought to the UConn is because of his skills off the court. He has one of the highest GPA's Marshall has ever coached and is everything a coach wants in a student-athlete. Michaels was recently notified he would be the recipient of the UConn Club Senior Athlete. The list goes on and on, and his academic success paid off, as he will attend Michigan Law School next year.

But even with the successes on and off the tennis court Michaels stays humble and gives credit to the leaders of the past.

"The foundation we've created and built is from past players. We took what we learned from them and are passing it along right now," he said.

Michaels and Schueler are the only seniors on the roster, and even with the weight of a team, that includes five freshmen, on their shoulders they are loose as can be.

"It's definitely fun to have a bunch of freshmen to help out with tennis and off court stuff," Schueler said. "It's more rewarding to have that. I feel no pressure for sure. The previous captains taught us the job."

Michaels continued, "It's an absolute honor to be on such a young, talented team full of all around great people."

The end of the season looms and although both men have bright futures, they won't forget their time in Storrs.

"I'll remember the good times on and off the court. It's been a fun journey, and I'll take the memories along with me," said Schueler.

Michaels reminisced, "The shared experiences with great teammates past and present. Also, having a great coaching and support staff."

The coaches of the program admire Joey and Ben, along with their families, and will be sad to see them go.

Assistant Coach Michael Louis said, "They do a great job relaying the coach's message to the players."

And this year that message has been to win. And with such a young team, it is hard not to look down the road and see a great team in a couple years. This might be the start of a winning tradition in UConn tennis, and we'll have Joey and Ben to thank.