Tennis Squad Hits the Courts Running
by: Matt MacFarland ‘11
Will Moss ‘10 will lead the Tigers in their hunt for 2nd ODAC title.
Hampden-Sydney tennis has led a veritable revolution in ODAC tennis over the past four years. Since the appearance of head coach Murrie Bates, named 2008 ODAC Coach of the Year and 2009 VaSID Coach of the Year, the Tiger tennis program has grown by leaps and bounds from a competitor in the conference, to the underdog champions at last year’s ODAC championship, to now finally occupying the throne of ODAC tennis, brought about by the exceptional execution of an experienced and talented squad of players.
The Tigers performed strongly in the 2008 season, cruising to the finals of the ODAC tournament to face longtime rivals Washington and Lee. An unlucky reappearance of the foot injury of captain William Moss forced a re-calibration of the team’s seeding, however, leading to a crushing 0-9 loss.
The results of last season’s ODAC championship match told a much different story: with grinding, hard-fought matches being contended over the course of the day, the Tigers pulled ahead to the shock of the Generals’ team and crowd of fans, seizing victory after hours of grueling play on the strings of William Moss, Shad Harrell, Rich Pugh, Kevin Calhoun, and Philip Parrish, whose three-set thriller clinched the ODAC title. With the win, Hampden-Sydney dissolved the thirteen-year hegemony W&L had enjoyed in the ODAC.
The 2010 season looks to be a continuation of Tiger dominance in the conference—riding high as the new defending champions and with a pre-season #1 ranking, and with no graduating players, last year’s squad will appear on the courts again this season.
The Tigers will again be led by three-time Player of the Year senior William Moss and First Team All-ODAC junior Rich Pugh, second-time co-captains, who have lost only one ODAC match in their career as doubles partners. Aiding Moss and Pugh will be juniors Shad Harrell, Tal Covington, and Zack Pack, top seeds since their freshman season in 2008, and sophomores Kevin Calhoun and Philip Parrish, whose appearance as freshmen last year proved crucial to the Tiger victory. Rounding out the Tiger squad are senior Richie Holzapfel, junior Matt MacFarland, and sophomores Ian Sammler and Ryan Davis, who provide significant depth to an already-accomplished starting lineup.
New to the team this year are freshman notables Franklin Bowers and Michael Towne and sophomore Barrett Polan, whose strong performances at the fall season ODAC tournament in Lexington bode well for the future of Tiger tennis.
Indeed, the results of the ODAC fall tournament seem to predict what the Tigers hope to accomplish this upcoming season. Either the regular or consolation bracket of every flight of matches was won by a Hampden-Sydney player, with Moss and Pugh occupying first and third place in the championship flight.
With these results under the Tigers’ belts and a dedication to improving conditioning and doubles play, look for the defending ODAC champs to repeat last season’s feat and hold high another conference trophy at the conclusion of the 2010 season.
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