DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Bethune-Cookman opens its 2017 spring season Sunday afternoon at 5 p.m. against UCF at the USTA's new National Campus in Lake Nona.

The Wildcats are coming off a 12-13 campaign in 2016. They earned the No. 1 seed from the Southern Division for the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament, but fell to South Carolina State in the  tournament semifinals.

Five players return from last year's team. There are two newcomers as well as a new head coach - Val Villucci.

MEET THE NEW COACH:  Villucci spent more than 20 years with the women's and men's tennis programs at the University of Rhode Island.
 
In August 2013, she was elevated to full time status as the head coach for the women's tennis program. Having previously coached the URI women from 1993-2004, Villucci returned to the program in 2009 and guided the Rams to a 40-39 mark in dual matches.
 
Villucci also served as the head coach of the URI men's tennis team from 2004 until 2008, when the program was eliminated. In their final season, Villucci's Rams went 17-6 and broke into the April 22 Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) weekly poll with a No. 102 ranking.

WHO'S BACK: Leading the way for the Wildcats is junior Alexander Chepik, the 2016 MEAC Men's Player Of The Year. Chepik will play No. 1 singles for the third year. During the off-season, he represented B-CU and the MEAC at the Oracle ITA Masters.Also returning is senior Alvaro Barrera, a second team All-MEAC performer last year. He needs two wins to become the program's all-time singles victory leader.
Seniors Greg Almeida and Pablo Lopez and sophomore Jose Plazas round out the returners.

VILLUCCI ON THE RETURNERS: "The maturity of the returnees will be the strength to our success.  This talented group will allow us to have much flexibility with the lineup.  They are a close group and have demonstrated their dedication and will to win.  I see their will to win to be greater than the fear of losing.  As a result of this, we should see some very good matches and exciting wins from this group of young men."
 
WHO'S NEW: Newcomers include David Ocampa, a junior from Colombia who transferred from the University of South Carolina-Sumter and Juan Diego Ruiz, a freshman also from Colombia.

VILLUCCI ON THE NEWCOMERS: Our newcomers, Greg and Juan Diego have solidified the team and will allow us a lot of versatility with our lineup.  I am looking forward to the accomplishments they will achieve.
 
THE SEASON: Local rival Stetson highlights the non-conference schedule, which also include Florida Atlantic, Florida Gulf Coast, Davidson and Charleston. The Wildcats will host two key MEAC matches – March 25 against South Carolina State and Florida A&M in the April 15 regular season finale.