North Carolina Wesleyan College Men's Tennis

Albie Brice enters his eighth season at the helm of the Battling Bishop's tennis program. No stranger to Bishop Athletics, he previously served as NCWU's head tennis coach for five years, helping reinstate the men's program in 1999 and started the women's program that same season. Brice joined the program as a full-time assistant coach in 2016 prior to taking over as interim head coach in April of 2017. His interim tenure saw him post a combined 8-3 record with the men and women, which included securing the men's ninth straight USA South title and the women's third straight winning season. Most recently in 2018, he helped lead NCWU's men to their tenth straight USA South crown and an NCAA Sweet 16 appearance, while on the women's side, he helped guide Wesleyan to the 2018 USA South Tournament Championship and the program's second NCAA berth. In joining Bishop tennis in a full-time capacity, he also served as head cross country coach for the 2016 season. An avid runner himself, he brought a wealth of training knowledge to a young program looking to improve within the USA South Conference and South Region. Recently in the 2022-23 season, Brice led both teams to the NCAA Tournament including the men who were one match away from the National Championships in Florida. Under his leadership, the women's program has grown into one of the top in DIII with Kristal Dule becoming the first female athlete in Wesleyan history to compete as an individual in the NCAA Tournament. Headed into the 2023-24 campaign, men's tennis currently has won 14 straight USA South Championships under his watch. He also had an All-American selection from both program for the first time ever. This past year, Brice led both Battling Bishop programs back to the NCAA Tournament and oversaw an NCAA Individual National Championship selectee in John Falke.  Brice has also overseen major facility upgrades including the state-of-the-art Indoor Sports and Education Facility. The 48,000 square foot facility houses hour indoor courts, coaches offices, and a viewing balcony for spectators. The addition to the tennis program also allows for the program to host NCAA Regionals and the conference tournament with ease. As a collegiate tennis player, Brice competed for D-I UNC Wilmington and was named UNCW's Most Improved Player in 1990 before transferring to NCWU. Athletically, Brice's post-Wesleyan career has seen him compete as a professional and achieve an ATP ranking. Brice also spent several years as an owner and coach with Velocity Sports Performance. During his Velocity tenure, he gained valuable knowledge in training, as well as the proper mechanics involved in endurance, strength, speed, nutrition, and injury prevention. A 1992 Wesleyan graduate with a degree in History, Brice has gone on to earn a Master of Divinity with Biblical Languages (2007) and a Master of Theology in Christian Ethics (2012) from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Currently, he is slated to complete his PhD in Christian Ethics in the summer of 2017. In addition to his coaching duties, he will continue to serve as an adjunct professor of Religious Studies at Wesleyan, as well as the Senior Pastor of Philadelphia Baptist Church in nearby Nashville. A USTA P-1 Professional, Brice and his wife, April, have four children: Tanner, Chandler, Tyler, and Brody who is a current member of the tennis program.

Matt Rowe enters his seventh season as an assistant coach with the Battling Bishop men's and women's tennis programs. He joined North Carolina Wesleyan during the 2017-2018 season after a successful two-year stint as head coach at Division II Barton College in nearby Wilson. Rowe's tenure at Barton saw him lead the Bulldogs to the 2017 Conference Carolinas Tournament Championship in men’s tennis, and he went on to oversee the first NCAA Tournament win in school history. Rowe posted winning records in both seasons at the helm, going 28-19 overall and a combined 14-5 within Conference Carolinas action. Upon joining the Bishops, he promptly helped lead NCWU's men to their tenth straight USA South crown and an NCAA Sweet 16 appearance, while on the women's side, he helped guide Wesleyan to the 2018 USA South Tournament Championship and the program's second NCAA berth. Recently, Rowe has been a part of tremendous success within the tennis program by guiding the men's team to 15 straight conference titles and the women's program to NCAA Tournament appearances two out of the last three seasons. Prior to Barton, Rowe's coaching experience included stints as an assistant coach at NCAA Division I programs James Madison University and East Carolina University. Additionally, Rowe previously served as Head Pro at Benvenue Country Club from 2007-2015 and Courtside Athletic Club 1997-2007. In these roles, he was tasked with developing players of all ages through instruction and competition, as well as recruiting players and developing teams for the USTA. Some of his previous students have won state, national, collegiate, and Grand Slam titles. Rowe is also an outstanding player who was once a Top-10 National Junior in Great Britain. During his playing career, Rowe posted victories over future top-10 professional Tim Henman, among others, while also competing in Junior Wimbledon. Collegiately, Rowe played four seasons at James Madison, where he was an All-Conference selection and team captain. More recently, Rowe represented North Carolina in the Southern Senior Cup and has won multiple National USTA Team and individual titles. Rowe, in fact, just won the 2017 National Open 40 and over Team Championships in Las Vegas. Rowe and his wife, Julie, currently reside in Wilson. The couple has one daughter, Mckenna.