KELLY MURPHY | STAFF REPORTER

The Butler men’s tennis team strives for success in its fall season, beginning with its first official practice last Friday.

Coach Parker Ross and his team started off the season right with a “high-energy practice,” seniors Billy Weldon and Sam O’Neill said, which will prepare them for their fall and spring seasons.

The team graduated no seniors. All players have returned for this coming season.

Ross’ expectations, with so many returners, are that “the team culture and chemistry will be perfect.”

Senior players include Pulok Bhattacharya, Tommy Marx, O’Neill, Weldon , Austin Woldmoe and Brandon Woods. 

Weldon is excited for the team’s second year in the Big East because he feels they got a good preview of the teams last year and will be able to compete against them better this year.

His goal for the team is to win the Big East Conference.

Last year, the team finished fifth in the Big East after a tough loss to Xavier University in the quarterfinals. 

Before its spring season, the team will play in four fall invitational tournaments with about eight teams participating in each tournament.

The fall season is a good opportunity for the team to see how it is doing as sort of a warm up for the spring. 

This is similar to how the baseball and softball teams will play in fall tournaments prior to their main focuses–the spring seasons.

Ross plans to “use the fall season to get as good as they can for the spring.” 

He plans to measure the team’s season not by its wins, but by the individual experience and growth. 

The team will travel to Chicago to play in its first invitational of the new season this weekend.