WINONA LAKE, Ind. - Grace's men's tennis team is poised to continue its climb in the Crossroads League in 2019 under head coach Andy Lewis.

Grace will be led by its two returning All-League performers. Max Rozas was Grace's No. 1 singles player and posted a 9-2 singles record as a freshman. Pavle Popovic picked up 12 wins across singles and doubles play.

Jacob Gray returns for his sophomore season after winning 11 matches in 2018, and twins Arturo Fonseca and Lucas Fonseca are the lone seniors on the squad.

Grace posted a 6-7 record last fall, including 4-5 in the Crossroads League.

The Lancers have injected a wealth of new talent to its roster, adding six players under head coach Andy Lewis.

Five of those players are from outside the United States. Mauricio Corty, a freshman from Venezuela, is the highest-ranked incoming player, according to Lewis.

Fabricio Galvan and Milan Savic are junior transfers from Eastern Florida State, a strong NJCAA tennis program.

The Lancers have also added one freshman from Chile (Ramiro Candia) and one from Indiana (Kye Barrett), and Nicolas Graber is cleared for his first season with the Lancers this fall.

Lewis said the team was focusing during preseason to improve its conditioning, speed and footwork. As a result, Lewis hopes the team will be able to handle the rigors of a busy month of September matches. 

Grace's goal is a return to NAIA Nationals. The Lancers' last appearance at nationals was in 1987, and Lewis wants to see Grace make a return trip.

"I'm excited to see what we can accomplish this year. We will be strong at every position in our lineup and can compete with nationally ranked teams," Lewis said. "We are going to work hard and play hard and be thankful for all the blessings God has given us this year."

The Lancers' first match is at Bethel on Tuesday at 3 p.m. Grace's home opener is Thursday against Northwestern Ohio at 2 p.m.