Kante Can Take FAMU to the Next Level

Senegal, West Africa native a former JUCO No. 1

Tallahassee, FL - Salif Kante grew up immersed in the game of tennis. His dad taught him the game in his native Senegal and when he was named the top junior college player in the country last year, it wasn't much of a surprise. Now, Kante is trying to put FAMU on the national map.

"That's why I came here. To win the title," Kante said with a chuckle. A couple of weeks ago, Kante won the single title at the Florida State University Invitational.

"If I go to a tournament I'm just gonna play my game," he said. "I don't care who plays. I'm just gonna play."



That's how he was taught thousands of miles away with the rest of his siblings. His older brother and younger sister were mentored by their father, who is a coach and owns a tennis club back in West Africa.

When Kante was finishing high school, he wanted ...

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FAMU Rattlers sign five-star tennis prospect

Clark, a Sophomore Business Administration Major was named to the Peach Belt Conference All-Academic team.

Levan Clark had all of the accolades that come with being a five-star tennis player when he was recruited by Florida A&M two years ago. He was ranked No. 10 among all Florida players and No. 65 in the nation among high school recruits. Qualifying to enroll at FAMU was another issue, and as a result Clark spent three semesters at Lander University, a Division II school in Greenwood, S.C.

But a day after signing to transfer to FAMU, Clark said Tuesday it all turned out for the better. "I'm more experienced now," said Clark, a left-hander out of Orlando Olympia High School. "I feel I can contribute a lot to make the team better. "I feel like the more experience we have the better off we're going to be. I feel with my experience in a tight situation I will stay calm and come through to win the match."

He did a lot of that for Lander this past season. In singles matches he went 14-5 and had an identical record in doubles. He was 6-3 in Peach Belt Conference matches.

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