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COLUMBUS – A few days later than planned, the Columbus State University men's and women's tennis teams will take the court for the first time on Thursday against Georgia Southwestern. First serve is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the John W. Walden Tennis Center.
 
The Cougars and Lady Cougars were scheduled to open the season last Sunday against Anderson, but inclement weather forced the match to be postponed. Thursday's match with Georgia Southwestern, a Peach Belt Conference foe, will not count as a conference match, with the actual league contest happening later in the season.
 
Both teams are ranked third in the country to start the 2018 season after big years in 2017.
 
"We're really excited for the 2018 season," head coach Evan Issacs said. "Both teams have a lot of talent and depth. We will use the early portion of the season to mix and match and find the combinations that work best for us, but we are really excited about where this season could lead."
 
Isaacs brings back six players that helped the Cougars to a national semifinal appearance last season. KP Pannu is the No. 1 ranked singles player in the country after capturing the Oracle Cup title in the fall. Zach Whaanga begins the season ranked No. 18 and freshman Alvaro Regalado is No. 22.
 
Pannu and Regalado pair together as the second-ranked doubles team in the country, with Whaanga and Matei Avram ranked 24^th overall.
 
The Lady Cougar roster features a mix of returners with newcomers as Isaacs returns three players from the 2017 team that reached the national quarterfinals. Beatriz Lopez slides into the top spot for the Lady Cougars and opens the season ranked third in the nation. Freshman Candice Paya drew a No. 14 ranking after her performance in the fall. Giorgia Vitale is the lone senior on the roster and is a four-time All-PBC selection and was the 2017 ITA Southeast Region Player to Watch.