June 17, 2003

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Santa Clara University men's tennis coach George Husack announced the addition of two transfers to the Bronco program, as Gernot Fischer of Tennessee Tech University and Eric Kochanski of West Virginia University have made commitments to play on the mission campus for the 2003-04 season.

Gernot Fischer

Fischer, a three-time All-Ohio Valley Conference player from Freising, Germany, has spent the past three seasons at No. 1 singles and doubles for the Golden Eagles. He was named the OVC Player of the Year this past season, after leading Tech to a conference championship and berth in the NCAA Tournament. Fischer posted 60 singles victories during his tenure and peaked in the ITA national ranking at No. 91. As a sophomore, he tallied 29 wins with victories over SEC powerhouses Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi and Vanderbilt.

"I am very excited that Gernot has chosen Santa Clara to finish his college tennis career," Husack said. "He brings top-level experience, having competed against some of the best programs in the country. Gernot will no doubt have an immediate impact to our program."

Eric Kochanski

Kochanski hails from Canonsburg, Pa., and joins the Bronco tennis program following two years at West Virginia University. A talented athlete and fierce competitor, Kochanski played No. 1 singles for the Mountaineers this season while sharing doubles duties at both the No. 1 and 2 positions. He posted a team-best 10-3 record last fall following an impressive run during the summer. Kochanski garnered two doubles titles in the ITA Midwest Summer Circuit and posted singles victories over opponents from No. 47-ranked William & Mary, No. 22 Ohio State, and 2003 NCAA National Champion, Illinois.

"Eric is quite an athlete and an unbelievably determined tennis player," Husack said. "He has taken it upon himself to work very hard on his game and the results clearly demonstrate his progress."

Fischer and Kochanski will join Kevin McQuaid of Huntington Beach, and Bobby Rasmussen of Greenwood Village, Colo., in the Broncos' incoming recruiting class. McQuaid and Rasmussen made their commitments during earlier signing periods.

"We have added experience, depth and talent to our lineup and these four individuals are tremendous additions to the program," Husack added. "When combined with our returners, this team is going to be very solid from top to bottom. I can't wait for practice to get started in the fall and see how we position ourselves for the West Coast Conference Championship and NCAA Tournament in 2004."

Santa Clara kicks off its 2003-04 campaign in September with a collection of fall tournaments. The dual match season begins on January 17 with a doubleheader against UC Santa Cruz and UC Davis. On April 23-25, the Broncos host the WCC Championship at the SCU Tennis Center.