Photo by: Getty Images for Fred Perry
Sam Nicholson adds size and strength to men’s tennis roster
12/17/2020 3:44:00 PM | Men's Tennis
When the Montana men's tennis team's 2020 season was cut short due to the pandemic, the Grizzlies were off to one of the hottest starts in program history, riding a seven-match win streak into the heart of the Big Sky schedule.
With the spring 2021 season fast approaching, UM head coach Jason Brown has bolstered his team's roster by signing one of the top age-grade players in the United Kingdom as the Griz take aim at yet another run to the conference championship tournament.
Sam Nicholson, recently ranked amongst the top-10 U-18 players in Britain, is set to join the Grizzlies in the spring semester, bringing a 508-185 career record and a title at the 2020 Fred Perry Championship already under his belt.
"I think he's an absolutely outstanding signee for a mid-major program. He's a top-10 U-18 kid out of the UK, which, for our conference, is the gold standard," said Brown.
"Combine that with the fact he's a really mature, calm, thoughtful kid on and off the court; he's going to fit in perfectly with our program."
Nicholson is the third addition to the Grizzlies' 2020-21 freshman class. He joins Moritz Stoeger and Guillermo Martin Nieto (now in the middle of their first year at UM), and graduate transfer Chase Bartlett, a former D-II All-American from Texas.
With Nicholson's addition, the quartet of newcomers will help fill the shoes of departed seniors Max Korkh and Ludvig Hallgren, who were instrumental in Montana's hot start last spring.
The Griz will now enter the 2021 spring duals season led by juniors Pontus Hallgren, Ed Pudney, and Oisin Shaffrey, who posted a combined 24-5 record in the spring before the season was cut short.
The 6-foot-3 Brit joins the Grizzlies with a 12.05 Universal Tennis Rating (UTR), already making him – at least on paper – one of Montana's top-three players and one of the top-rated players in the Big Sky Conference.
"Sam has the ability to really make an impact on what I think is already a very strong team," said Brown. "I'm excited to see what we can accomplish this year."
Hailing from Brighton, located due south of London on the shores of the English Channel, Nicholson says the University of Montana's picturesque surroundings were just one reason he chose to become a Grizzly.
While it's no secret the "Last Best Place" is a beautiful place to live, it's not the only reason Nicholson chose to play at UM. He says he wants to compete for Big Sky titles and develop himself into the best tennis player possible with hopes of taking his game to the next level after his time in Missoula, and he knows Montana is the place to make it happen.
"I chose Montana because of the beauty, that would stand out. But on top of that, Jason Brown has been really impressive. I love what I've heard. He didn't have to say too much to get me hooked," said Nicholson.
"I'm happy to have reached this far in my career, but I'm looking forward to camp at Montana, training consistently, and keep getting better because there's still more in the tank. I'm someone who wants to challenge themselves and not just cruise. I want to come and be pushed."
For Brown, that's the kind of drive he's looking for in any of his recruits. The drive that helps Montana men's tennis one of the top programs, academically, in the UM athletic department year-in and year-out, and the drive that will help the Griz return to the Big Sky championship.
"He really bought into all the values we hold here with academics and wants to take his tennis to the next level, which is an important part of what we're trying to do," said Brown.
"We want to be a place where guys get better at tennis while they get their degree. He's fully bought in, is excited about Montana and Missoula, but also being a part of the program we've built."
A Covid-impacted 2021 Big Sky tennis season is set to get underway in mid-January, with teams playing a regionalized schedule in the lead-up to a condensed conference tournament, set for May 1 and 2 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Grizzlies are set to release the finalized spring schedule in the near future.
With the spring 2021 season fast approaching, UM head coach Jason Brown has bolstered his team's roster by signing one of the top age-grade players in the United Kingdom as the Griz take aim at yet another run to the conference championship tournament.
Sam Nicholson, recently ranked amongst the top-10 U-18 players in Britain, is set to join the Grizzlies in the spring semester, bringing a 508-185 career record and a title at the 2020 Fred Perry Championship already under his belt.
"I think he's an absolutely outstanding signee for a mid-major program. He's a top-10 U-18 kid out of the UK, which, for our conference, is the gold standard," said Brown.
"Combine that with the fact he's a really mature, calm, thoughtful kid on and off the court; he's going to fit in perfectly with our program."
Nicholson is the third addition to the Grizzlies' 2020-21 freshman class. He joins Moritz Stoeger and Guillermo Martin Nieto (now in the middle of their first year at UM), and graduate transfer Chase Bartlett, a former D-II All-American from Texas.
With Nicholson's addition, the quartet of newcomers will help fill the shoes of departed seniors Max Korkh and Ludvig Hallgren, who were instrumental in Montana's hot start last spring.
The Griz will now enter the 2021 spring duals season led by juniors Pontus Hallgren, Ed Pudney, and Oisin Shaffrey, who posted a combined 24-5 record in the spring before the season was cut short.
The 6-foot-3 Brit joins the Grizzlies with a 12.05 Universal Tennis Rating (UTR), already making him – at least on paper – one of Montana's top-three players and one of the top-rated players in the Big Sky Conference.
"Sam has the ability to really make an impact on what I think is already a very strong team," said Brown. "I'm excited to see what we can accomplish this year."
Hailing from Brighton, located due south of London on the shores of the English Channel, Nicholson says the University of Montana's picturesque surroundings were just one reason he chose to become a Grizzly.
While it's no secret the "Last Best Place" is a beautiful place to live, it's not the only reason Nicholson chose to play at UM. He says he wants to compete for Big Sky titles and develop himself into the best tennis player possible with hopes of taking his game to the next level after his time in Missoula, and he knows Montana is the place to make it happen.
"I chose Montana because of the beauty, that would stand out. But on top of that, Jason Brown has been really impressive. I love what I've heard. He didn't have to say too much to get me hooked," said Nicholson.
"I'm happy to have reached this far in my career, but I'm looking forward to camp at Montana, training consistently, and keep getting better because there's still more in the tank. I'm someone who wants to challenge themselves and not just cruise. I want to come and be pushed."
For Brown, that's the kind of drive he's looking for in any of his recruits. The drive that helps Montana men's tennis one of the top programs, academically, in the UM athletic department year-in and year-out, and the drive that will help the Griz return to the Big Sky championship.
"He really bought into all the values we hold here with academics and wants to take his tennis to the next level, which is an important part of what we're trying to do," said Brown.
"We want to be a place where guys get better at tennis while they get their degree. He's fully bought in, is excited about Montana and Missoula, but also being a part of the program we've built."
A Covid-impacted 2021 Big Sky tennis season is set to get underway in mid-January, with teams playing a regionalized schedule in the lead-up to a condensed conference tournament, set for May 1 and 2 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Grizzlies are set to release the finalized spring schedule in the near future.
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
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