Nov. 30, 2007

DeKalb, Ill. - Northern Illinois head men's tennis coach Pontus Hiort announced on Friday that he has signed both Ryan King (Wildwood, Mo. / Lafayette) and Carlos Reyes (Weston, Fla. / Cypress Bay) to National Letters of Intent to play for the Huskies beginning in 2008.

"Both Ryan and Carlos will add depth and strength to our line-up and we are pleased to welcome them into our Huskie family for next year," Hiort said.

King is no stranger to the area, as he spent his freshman and sophomore campaigns at Crystal Lake South high school, where he was a two-time team MVP, two-time sectional champion, two-time captain and two-time All-Fox Valley Conference selection. King finished his career at Crystal Lake South with a record of 61-12 and twice made it to the `Sweet 16' of the IHSA state tournament.

Upon his arrival in Missouri, King went 16-1 in his junior season and was named team MVP for Lafayette, while helping his squad to a second place finish in the Suburban West Conference.  

"Ryan is a player who has had great success in the junior ranks in the Midwest," Hiort said. "He has developed very nicely as a player over the last year, and he will be a great asset to our team for the next four years."

Reyes is a highly decorated athlete who has totaled an impressive mark of 54-13 in his first three years as a prep. As a junior, Reyes earned the 4A Florida State doubles championship as well as picking up a runner-up finish in the singles flight. He played a key role in helping Cypress Bay to a second-place finish in the state championship in 2007.

The Weston, Florida native also has a pair of quarterfinal finishes as a singles player in the state championship, one quarterfinal finish in doubles action and a runner-up in doubles action as a sophomore.

"Carlos is an accomplished junior player that will add strength to both our singles and doubles line-up," Hiort said. "For many years now, he has competed in the strong Florida section and his strong results there speak highly of his abilities on the court.

"Carlos is a very dedicated student-athlete and we are happy to have him as a Huskie for the next four years."

NIU returns to action on January 20, 2008, as they travel to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to square off with IUPUI at 10 a.m.

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