The RoundHouse | 3/23/2021 3:19:00 PM

 
 
Marius Frosa considered himself at home in the middle of Wichita State's tennis lineup. He piled up wins at No. 3 and No. 4 and liked that role.
 
Coach Danny Bryan needed him higher in the lineup, a request that Frosa did not expect, even with the absence of Murkel Dellein early in the season.
 
"I was surprised, because I didn't think about the coach wanting me to play No. 1," Frosa said. "Then surprise came more when I started to win on No. 1, so I guess he was right."
 
Frosa is 5-4 at No. 1 and 3-0 at No. 2 for the Shockers this spring, highlighted by a February win over No. 37 Parker Wynn of Texas Tech. His play at No. 1 – and with doubles partner Dellein – boosted the Shockers (9-5) into the No. 41 spot in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association national rankings. 
 
A 5-1 win over No. 22 Memphis in early March gave the Shockers their first win over a top 25-team since 1985. Sophomore Nicolas Acevedo earned American Athletic Conference Player of the Week honors with his 6-4, 6-2 win over Jan Pallares.
 
The Shockers play their next five matches at home, starting Friday against Creighton. The stretch includes matches against No. 33 Denver (March 27), No. 44 SMU (April 2) and No. 25 Pepperdine (April 4).
 
"We got wins over SMU and Utah, on the road, without Murkel," Bryan said. "A lot of guys got confidence. They played with a sense of urgency, knowing that we needed everyone's best."
 
Dellein returned in late January to strengthen the lineup at No. 2 and No. 3 singles. He and Frosa are 4-3 at No. 1 doubles after starting the season No. 32 in the ITA rankings. Tough losses to Oklahoma and Texas Tech, both filled with third-set defeats, gave the Shockers glimpses of their potential.
 
Frosa, from Galati, Romania, stepped into the No. 1 spot despite his own reservations. Ascending in the lineup pushed him out of his comfort zone and forced him to play more aggressive tennis. No longer could he be satisfied with keeping the ball in play and conservative shots against weaker opponents.
 
"I like being challenged and this kind of challenge made me better," he said. "Higher in the lineup, people are good serving, good returning and they hit faster than expected. They might control the game, and you don't want that."
 
Lower in the lineup, he often succeeded by playing patiently and letting his opponent stumble. 
 
"When he has the right mind-set, his return is a real problem," Bryan said. "He is looking to put pressure on his opponent with his forehand, instead of just rallying and waiting for the mistake. He is putting the guy under pressure. Against a top-of-the-lineup-type guy, waiting for them to make a mistake isn't always the best play, because they might not make a mistake and they might take advantage of you not doing much."
 
Frosa started adjusting his game in the fall during independent tournaments. 
 
"I realized that I can hit faster and I have a way to surprise other guys," he said. "That's when I started to work more on faster speeds hitting the ball."
 
 Frosa and Dellein form one of Wichita State's greatest doubles teams after advancing to the NCAA Championships quarterfinals in 2019. Frosa is enjoying the addition of singles success to his resume.
 
"I'm trying to do both well," he said. "I love doubles. We improved in doubles a lot, and what we improved in doubles helps me in singles, too. Consistent volleys. Serves. Returns. I think we are both are doing well in singles because of doubles."
 
Paul Suellentrop covers Wichita State Athletics and the American Athletic Conference for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.