Millersville, Pennsylvania -- The Millersville men's tennis team opens its first season under head coach Matt Helsel at home Sunday against Philadelphia University.

Prior to accepting the Millersville coaching job in July, Helsel coached the men's and women's tennis teams at Elizabethtown College. Helsel's men's teams posted a 142-100 record, won four Landmark Conference Championships, while finshing as the conference runner-up four more times. Helsel's men's team competed in the NCAA Divsion III tournaments in 2011, 2012 and 2013.

The Millersville men's team had a forgettable 2015-16 season, but Helsel is transitioning the team towards a new era.

"We're all getting used to each other and they're getting accustomed to me and how I do things, so there has to be an expected learning curve built in," Helsel said. "It takes some time to learn a new system. That said, these guys work hard. They aren't afraid to try new things, and they aren't afraid to go to work and get their hands dirty and that's half the battle. My goals are for us to measurably and consistently improve as the season passes, to continue to work extremely hard regardless of what obstacles stand in our path, and for us to gel as a cohesive unit. If we can do those things, we'll have a successful season. I'm excited to work with this group of players."

Out of the seven members on the men's team, five of them are underclassmen, and Helsel will look to senior Christian Boyer to lead the way on the court.

Boyer earned the only singles win against a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference team last season against rival Kutztown University. He finished last season earning PSAC Scholar-Athlete honors.

Helsel will also look to Boyer's doubles partner sophomore Christian Akerley to provide wins for the Marauders.The tandem of Boyer and Akerley earned four wins in doubles matches.

As a freshman, Akerley won his first singles match in his first tournament and strung together five more singles wins in the spring season.

Helsel, like three of his freshmen, is new to the program and he says having a team of mostly underclassmen in this transitional period is an advantage.

"I feel that we have some great pieces to the puzzle to build around, but we have a lot to prove yet and a lot of work to do," Helsel said. "I'm definitely glad that we're young as we embark on this journey."

Sunday's home opener is set for Sunday at 1 p.m. against Philadelphia.