FARMVILLE, Va. – Longwood first-year head coach Pierre Tafelski announced Tuesday the signing of a three-member recruiting class that will join the Longwood men's tennis program in the 2016-17 academic year.

The trio of signees, consisting of international talent in Amadeo Blasco Hervas, Arthur Bardellotto and Noah Petralia, is the first recruiting class for Tafelski since his arrival at Longwood late last August.

"We're very excited to have such a talented, motivated and hard-working recruiting class coming in," said Tafelski. "Amadeo, Arthur and Noah are great tennis players who will help us tremendously on the court, as well as in carrying our program's pride across campus. I am proud of having them become Lancers, and I can't wait for them to arrive this fall."

Blasco Hervas, a product of Valencia, Spain, brings the Lancers a pedigree that includes finishes as a U-18 runner-up in the junior national tournament and two-time semifinalist in the senior national tournament in his home country. He comes in with a top 50 U-18 Spain junior ranking and top 100 Spain Open ranking among players at all levels, while being rated No. 1,374 in doubles play by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP).

"Amadeo is very passionate about the sport of tennis and has dedicated a lot of work throughout his career to break through our sport professional ranking. His approach of the game, academics, and team environment will be a very positive and valuable addition to our program," Tafelski said.

A native of Toulouse, France, Bardellotto brings in experience as a competitor in International Tennis Federation (ITF) tournaments and club tennis in France. Bardellotto ranks top 20 in France's U-18 junior circuit, where he has advanced to the semifinals in his region.

"Arthur is a talented player who has climbed the French ranking quickly over the past year to finish top 20, which shows his great motivation to work, improve and be competitive," said Tafelski. "His positive personality and ambitions will perfectly fit our program's vision."

Petralia, a Mellingen, Switzerland, native, completes the group of young talent being brought in by Tafelski. Along with fellow signee Bardellotto, Petralia also has experience competing in main draws of ITF tournaments on the junior circuit and is top 140 in the Switzerland Open rankings, which includes players from all levels in his home country.

"Noah is a great student and a very athletic player. His character and motivation will be a great addition to our program and will fit very well with our team culture. His dedication and hard work will lead to a great college career at Longwood," Tafelski said.

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