For four years, Vanderbilt's men's tennis team had one sure thing: Ryan Preston. Preston was the typical No. 1 player: a powerful serve and forehand, and accolades that included three first team All-Southeastern Conference selections and several big wins over a slew of top 50 players.

Preston has since graduated, which might lead the casual fan to expect a down year for the Commodores. However, anyone who has followed coach Ian Duvenhage's work the last few years would realize the team is on an upward trend. Duvenhage inherited a mess in 2006, but he has made steadfast improvements to a former superpower that reached the finals of the NCAA tournament in 2004.

Duvenhage said he saw Preston's departure in an optimistic light.

"Ryan left big shoes to fill, not only as a player, but also as a leader and someone who gave it 110 percent every day and who always exhibited toughness," said Duvenhage. "There is a void, but growth only occurs when there is a demand for it and I am confident our team will grow into the space he vacated."

It's hard to believe that in 2006 the team hardly had enough players to field a team. Vanderbilt was riddled with injuries and defections from the season before. Unsurprisingly, the team finished 7-14 in a highly competitive Southeastern Conference. After a year of seasoning under Duvenhage, the team improved to 11-13 in 2007 before going 14-10 in 2008.

This year's squad looks to build on the 2008 season. They've bought into Duvenhage's no-nonsense system, which once had them running sprints on the home courts after a poor performance against Georgia.

"Our main goal is to get a little bit better each day," said senior Nick Cromydas. "We believe the results will take care of themselves if we follow that practice rigorously."

Cromydas, the lone senior on this year's squad, will likely vie for the No. 1 position with junior Vijay Paul and sophomore Bryant Salcedo. Cromydas, a fixture in the top 100 rankings, is a scrappy player who always seems outmatched by a harder-hitting opponent, but he always seemingly finds a way to come up big. Paul is almost the Rafael Nadal of the tennis team. His impeccable footwork and heavy topspin shots have scored numerous victories over elite competition. Salcedo is somewhat of an outsider to the top group, but his game is loaded with potential and confidence.

The parity of the team does not stick to this trio.

"I'd have to say it is wide open," Duvenhage said. "At this point every spot in the line-up is up for grabs, and that's not just a line - it is the way I see it."

One has to figure that sophomores Adam Baker and Alex Zotov will see some major playing time, as will junior James Moye. Freshman Charlie Jones brings an impressive tennis pedigree to the program. There's even been word that sophomore Andy Pulido has looked pretty sharp in fall workouts. Nonetheless, Duvenhage will likely play musical chairs with the ladder for the beginning of the season. One thing is certain - this team sees no limits to where it can go.

"As a senior, I would love to go out with a ring, so yeah, an SEC championship and NCAA win would be nice," Cromydas said. "So yeah, why not us?"

Why not?