Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG – The Virginia Tech men's tennis team and head coach Jim Thompson will honor seniors Chase Bernstine and Ryan Kros, along with graduate students Mitch Harper and Alex Ribeiro on Sunday prior to its match against Duke.
The match against the No. 36 Blue Devils will begin at 11 a.m. inside the Burrows-Burleson Tennis Center. Live stats and video will be available here.
CHASE BERNSTINE
Chase is the son of Mark and Diane Bernstine. He will earn his degree in Consumer Studies this spring. In his freshman campaign, Bernstine earned four wins during the spring and advanced to his flight finals at the Georgia Tech Fall Invitational. In his sophomore season, Chase grabbed a win at the ITA Atlantic Region Championships and was victorious in two out of three singles matches in the spring.
Coach Thompson on Chase: "Chase is the ultimate Hokie! He has always worked hard on and off the court, and been the type of teammate everyone would want. Whether in the weight room or at any practice, Chase has always put in and given to his team. He has represented us so well. It has been such a pleasure to see him mature during his time. He has all the qualities to be super successful after college and I look forward to seeing what he will accomplish in his next chapter."
RYAN KROS
Ryan is the son of Todd and Rachel Kros. He's a member of the Corp of Cadets and will be getting a degree in Building and Construction. In his freshman season, Kros reached his flight semifinals at the Southern Intercollegiate fall tournament and earned wins against his opponents from ranked sides Louisville and ETSU. His sophomore year, Ryan won the white draw at the Liberty Invitational in the fall. In the spring season, he claimed wins on Court 1 with doubles partner Henrik Korsgaard against ranked teams Miami and Virginia. Throughout his career, Ryan has earned four wins in singles, all in straight sets, and has established himself as an important part of the Hokies lineup.
Coach Thompson on Ryan: "You cannot think of this guy without thinking of WORK ETHIC. He is the first player in our program to do ROTC and I have to admit that when he visited, I thought how will he be able to do all of this? I thought he might be able to do it, but something will have to be done mediocre. Well, he has absolutely excelled in everything! In the classroom every semester he has been the leader on the team. In the gym, he is a beast and on the court he has established himself as standout doubles player. He has also matured so much in four years. I am proud to think that he will be defending our country and keep us all safe in the years to come! We are in good hands."
ALEX RIBEIRO
Alex, who hails from Lisbon, Portugal, is a graduate student earning his master's degree in Business Administration. In his freshman year, Ribeiro played as high as No. 2 in the Hokies lineup and was a runner-up in doubles and semifinalist in singles at the ITA Atlantic Regional Championships. In Alex's sophomore year, he was an NCAA qualifier for doubles and finished the season ranked No. 47. He also had the match clinching point against in-state rivals UVA in one of the most electric matches that Burrows-Burleson Tennis Center has seen. Alex is currently ranked No. 49 in singles and No. 53 in doubles with partner Jordan Chrysostom.
Coach Thompson on Alex: "I consider myself very fortunate to have had the opportunity to have Alex back for one more season. He has such a pleasant personality and is a super bright young man. He has excelled in the classroom and made Virginia Tech a better place during his time. While he clearly established himself as an elite player in the ACC, undoubtedly his great accomplishment for which he will always be remembered is winning the deciding match against UVA, breaking their streak against us. The level of composure he showed in that match was amazing. He will be a success in whatever he decides to do and I am grateful to have had a front row seat to watch him mature as both a person and a player."
MITCH HARPER
Mitch is a native of Yeppoon, Queensland, Australia, and is a graduate student studying Business Administration. In his junior year, Mitch established himself as the No. 1 for the Hokies and was a First Team All-ACC selection, VaSID player of the year, NCAA singles qualifier, and an ITA Nationals qualifier in both singles and doubles. He finished the season ranked 27th and tallied 14 ranked singles wins. Mitch began the 2020 season unranked, but reached as high as 47th after going unbeaten through nine matches. Mitch started this season ranked No. 38 in the country and has earned two wins on Court 1 in limited action.
Coach Thompson on Mitch: "I knew from the moment Mitch chose Virginia Tech that he was an extremely special person. He sees things differently than most people. He is an extremely thoughtful and kind person. His accolades in tennis speak for themselves, but it is so incredible how humble he is as a person. I would consider him one of the most competitive people ever in the program. He has also been one of the most loyal and dedicated players. There have been so many great memories, but the greatest compliment I can give him is I am a better person for having been around him these past six years. He has made us all better and his legacy here will remain for a long time to come!"