JACKSONVILLE – Jacksonville State men's tennis picked up a big transfer on Friday afternoon when associate head coach Trey Morris announced the signing of Francis Marion star Liam Day.
 
"Liam is a proven winner," Morris said. "He's played in the top spot for Francis Marion throughout his entire career. I think anyone who's able to do that, regardless of the program or level, and can come out and have great success like he's had with a phenomenal winning record at the No. 1 singles and doubles spots, it says a lot about the quality that they possess.
 
"We're also really excited for him because he has the X-factor as well," Morris said. "He is extremely hardworking and motivated, and he's looking to be a part of a program that will maximize his potential. We are beyond excited for Liam to join our program as a proven winner and a player who's hungry for much more."
 
Day joins the Gamecock program after three years at Francis Marion, a Division II institution in Florence, S.C. He was named the Conference Carolinas Player of the Year this past Spring after going 15-4 in No. 1 singles action and 13-4 in doubles competition on court one.
 
The Edenvale, South Africa, native scored big victories against ranked foe Mount Olive on March 18, picking up a 6-2 doubles triumph before winning in three sets in one-on-one play. Day downed Mount Olive's ranked tandem in the top doubles flight and also defeated ninth-ranked Bruno Sabio of Edinboro on March 8
 
During his time in the Palmetto State, he was a two-time First-Team All-Conference selection, a four-time Conference Carolinas Player of the Week honoree, and the 2022 FMU Team MVP. Day, who earned a personal best of No. 50 in the ITA Division II rankings, was an ITA Scholar Athlete and a five-time Athletic-Academic Honor Roll member and was listed on the Conference Carolinas Presidential Honor Roll in 2022. Furthermore, the 5-foot-7 speedster received Francis Marion's Frankie Award for Male Athlete of the Year for 2022-23.
 
Day attended St. Benedict's College in Germiston, South Africa, where he played tennis throughout his prep career. He represented his provincial team at the National School Tournament for seven years in a row. As a senior, Day was the top player and team caption at SBC and made the South Africa Schools national team. In addition, he achieved a high ranking of No. 9 amongst all South African U18 competitors.
 
The Francis Marion transfer will have two years of eligibility left when he transfers to Jacksonville State in the Fall. He joins an already stacked recruiting class that boasts another veteran transfer in Monmouth standout Charlie Penman and three talented incoming freshmen in Aman Dahiya, Marko Milosavljevic, and Zachary Murphy.