As the Salisbury boys tennis team gets the 2016 season underway after finishing as runner-up in the Colonial League and District 11 Class 2A field a year ago, there are plenty of familiar faces on the court. But there’s also some new, inexperienced ones that are looking to fill a number of holes from 2015.

It all starts with the Falcons’ trio of singles players, all juniors, who return after helping guide Salisbury to an impressive 10-3 mark in conference play last spring. No. 1 singles player John Yurconic, who is coming off a runner-up finish in the District 11 singles tournament, and No. 2 singles player Mason Groff picked up wins against Palmerton in the team’s season opener while No. 3 singles player Daniel Bonge was wrapping up his swimming season.

And while Salisbury dropped that first match 3-2, head coach Rob Benson understands that the way his team is playing in late April is more important than right how it plays in mid-March.

“I had a third singles player and two doubles teams that played their first competitive tennis match ever [against Palmerton],” Benson said. “This is more of a process. By the end of the season is when we’ll be at our strength.”

Yurconic and Groff were one of the top one-two combinations in the district a year ago. And judging by their performance through practices so far, their junior seasons figure to include plenty more fireworks together on the court.

“They are becoming very mature tennis players,” Benson said. “The best thing about them is they are really going along and helping the younger ones. I guess the best way I can describe it is when you watch them, it’s like watching fish practice swimming.”

The two actually paired up to win the district doubles tournament and place third at states, the furthest any Salisbury doubles team had ever advanced.

Bonge, after earning two top-12 finishes at the PIAA Swimming and Diving Championships last week, is set to return and complete Salisbury’s formidable force on the singles circuit.

But while that trio of experienced players returns, the doubles teams will have a different look from last spring. Last year’s tandems of Brendan Reichenbach and Jack Bonge at No. 1 doubles, as well as Eric Young and Aaron King at No. 2, both graduated.

Those voids leave holes that Benson must fill with players relatively new to the sport. It seems as if one tandem is set with Nick Fortunato and Ryan Slutsky. A number of freshmen in Brad Hnatow, Bryce Erdman and Patrick Po all played against the Blue Bombers and figure to fight for that other doubles team.

“My doubles players are all brand new, and most of them haven’t picked up a racquet until the first day of practice,” Benson said. “It’s taking a little bit, but they’ll be fine by the end of the year.

“I’m putting a lot of different combinations together to see what works. Right now Nick Fortunato and Ryan Slutsky tend to be solid together.”

The last two seasons finished with Salisbury earning runner-up in the district to Moravian Academy. The goal is to get back to that plateau once again.

“It will be a challenge to repeat that, but that is our goal,” Benson said. “Moravian Academy lost two players from their state champion team.”