DETROIT (11/17/2014) -- University of Detroit Mercy head men's tennis coach Grant Asher decided to stay in state this recruiting period and picked up one of the best local prep players in the Metro Detroit area as the Titans announced the signing of Griffin Mertz (Farmington Hills, Mich./North Farmington) to a National Letter of Intent.
 
"He is a local kid and we are starting to win a lot of those in-state recruiting battles," said Coach Asher. "He is left handed, an extremely smart player and is going to make an immediate impact for us, especially in doubles."
 
A four-year varsity letter winner at North Farmington, he is coming off a senior campaign that saw him post a 24-3 overall record in the top position, earning All-State for the third-straight season. A two-year captain, he was a state semifinalist at No. 1 this past season and was a four-time regional champion.
 
He is also a three-time Scholar Athlete and is a member of the National Honor Society.  He was listed as a two-star prospect as well as ranked as one of the top 50 players in the Great Lakes and No. 7 in the state of Michigan by TennisRecruiting.net.
 
"He has a good serve and is a great student and I believe he is someone that can come here and help us build this program back up," added Coach Asher.
 
The Titans ended their fall campaign at the ITA Midwest Regional Championships and will begin their spring duel season in January.