 Senior Peter Jacobs strides to hit the ball during the final set in Sunday's match against Davidson. Photo by Jamie McGirt | The Appalachian. For the three seniors on the team – Peter Jacobs, Trent Constance and Britton Webb – Sunday’s match was their last chance to play in an Appalachian jersey.
“Before the match, I told myself I wanted to end off with a win,” Jacobs said. “And I came away with a win in singles and doubles.”
Jacobs and Constance got the team off to a promising start, winning their doubles match 8-6 and securing the doubles point for the Mountaineers. The senior duo went 16-4 on the season, losing only one conference match in doubles.
“We lose our one and our three, Pete and Trent. They’re the best doubles team in the conference,” head coach Bob Lake said. “Those two are the best team in the conference. So, when we lose them, I have to get some new guys.”
After winning all three doubles matches, the Mountaineers moved on to singles, and the seniors moved on to the last competition of their collegiate careers.
The seniors demonstrated the maturity and skills they have acquired during their years at Appalachian as all three worked to win their respective singles matches.
Despite the win, which took the team to 12-9 overall and 4-6 in conference, Appalachian will not have a chance to compete in the Southern Conference Tournament this year.
“This is the last match because they changed the Southern Conference Tournament to only four teams. We didn’t get in by one match. I think we came in fifth in the conference,” Jacbos said. “Next year they’re going to change it to all the teams again, so that’s a great senior ending with no conference tournament.”
The seniors were pleased with the victory their team was able to pull out, but admitted they were a little upset that the on-the-court time they are used to spending with their teammates has come to an end.
“It feels a little bit sad to be done, but yeah, it’s good. It was good to play Davidson, but there wasn’t really much on the line because only four teams go to the conference tournament,” Constance said. “We had a few tight matches to start. We lost four 4-3 matches this year. If we had won them we would be in the tournament right now. But, that’s tennis, I guess.”
Coach Lake said the closeness of the team makes it even more difficult to lose the seniors from this year’s squad, and the seniors said their time with the team has not only changed them on the court, but off the court as well.
“I think I’ve just grown up more, and I think just from being on the team I got really close to them,” Constance said. “We’re like a family here, so it’s just taught me to be more independent, and patient. It’s been the best four years of my life.”
Story: LINDSEY HUNTSINGER, Sports Reporter
Photo: JAMIE MCGIRT, Intern Photographer |
