Kolomyts Looks to Ace MAC Championships

BUFFALO, NY – University at Buffalo ace Kirill Kolomyts of the men's tennis team has been having a championship caliber season. Much like himself, his teammates around him have been stepping up in big ways. The Bulls are 12-6 overall and swept through Mid-American Conference play to earn the regular season conference crown.

Kirill is definitely a major factor in the team's success. His record stands at 3-2 in the MAC for singles competition. However, for doubles competition, Kirill and teammate Marcelo Mazzetto are 4-0 in MAC play. On May 2, Kirill and the rest of his teammates plan on leaving Muncie, IN as the 2010 Mid-American Conference tournament champions.

Growing up in Moscow, Russia Kirill didn't want to end up like so many others from his native land. He loves his home, but was afraid if he stayed he would eventually give up playing tennis and move on towards a more career-oriented profession. He ultimately knew he wanted to travel to the United States to attend college and pursue his future as a tennis star. This is when Kolomyts sought out specific agencies in Russia that help advertise and showcase athletes' skills to various schools around the United States. Lucky for UB, Kirill stumbled upon Buffalo and fell in love almost immediately.

Often enough, the University at Buffalo works with foreign countries to bring athletes like Kolomyts to help their athletic programs. The diversity that is seen in UB's tennis, basketball, and track and field teams are continually growing and proving to be successful. When asked how Kirill has dealt with adapting to Buffalo and the United States he responded by stating it was a bit difficult at first. Upon arriving in the U.S., Kirill admitted he wasn't sure what to expect. He had always associated schools in New York to be powerful and more prestigious. He had much to learn like the acclamation of team play with team oriented goals, while still possessing individual goals.

Kolomyts could not have predicted he'd break records like he has at UB. Kirill is tied for fourth in career singles victories (62), second in career doubles victories (61), and third in career combined singles and doubles wins (118). There's no doubt that Kolomyts has been a huge contributor to the tennis teams' success and is one of the best UB tennis players in recent history.

Even with his success, Kirill time and time again states he is more focused on winning a team title. He said this season has definitely been the most productive season thus far since arriving at UB. "We have beaten all the teams in our conference with confidence, this is how we play and we expect to win in Indiana," Kolomyts said. He also stated that everyone's focus is where it needs to be and they look forward to getting an opportunity to compete on a national level if they can win the MAC.

When asked about his growth as a player more specifically, Kirill stated that he has grown into a more mature tennis player. He no longer gets down on himself as much. In past years his frustrations would affect his play negatively. Kirill now tries more often to learn from his mistakes on the court and not beat himself up. His mental toughness over the years has grown tremendously. He still expects much from himself and would like to wrap up his career going undefeated in Mid-American Conference play en route to a team championship.

Written by Thomas Graff