HUNTINGDON, Pa.- With five of six players from the one through six spots returning from last year's Landmark champion team, the Juniata men's tennis team will look to take home another championship plaque in 2016. The coaches in the Landmark agree that the Eagles will do that as they picked them to come in first in the preseason poll.

First year head coach Chauncey Nixon has a stacked lineup in front of him.  It all starts at the top as junior Dean Polisena (Adelaide, Australia/Saint Ignatius) will be at first singles. The two-time Landmark Player of the Year, Polisena was also a First Team selection at both singles and doubles. He went 18-8 overall and 7-1 in conference play.

Matyas Kohout (Krhanice, Czech Republic/Gymnasium Jizni Mesto) is once again at second singles. Kohout made a big impact on the Eagles in his freshman campaign last season as he went 15-9 on the year. Kohout was a Second Team Landmark selection.

Freshman Roy Liberman (Montevideo, Uruguay/EIHU) moves into the third slot. "His skill set is higher than what we are used to see come in," stated Nixon. "He doesn't have to work hard to do things."

Senior Bryan Gregory (Glen Mills, Pa./Garnet Valley) is at fourth singles. A Landmark Second Team selection, Gregory was the only Eagle player to go undefeated in conference play in the regular season last year. He carried that play over into the Landmark Tournament as he went 4-0 and was named the Tournament MVP.

Senior Logan Moore (Chadds Ford, Pa./Unionville) and freshman Dan Ansel (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township) round out the lineup. Nixon said that Ansel will be in the sixth spot but can work his way up to fourth. Also factoring in the lineup is senior Mike Lifshitz (Worcester, Mass./Worcester) and freshman Owen Grafe (Newton, Mass./Newton North). Grafe will start in doubles and will also see some playing time at singles during the season.

Nixon said that one aspect of the team will change. "Doubles is going to be completely different," he said. "They are going to compete differently than they have and that's where I feel we have an advantage."

Nixon feels his team is even stronger than last year's was. He has no doubt that his squad can go undefeated in the conference once again but notes that he doesn't know if they will produce the same results in the non-conference portion of the schedule.

The 2016 season for the Eagles begins on Friday as Juniata plays Salisbury. Start time for the match will be at 2 p.m.