Flames tennis teams start the year off hot
Both Flames and Lady Flames tennis teams won their matches this Saturday against Lees-McRae. With successful teamwork in both the doubles and singles matches, the teams are off to a great start this season.
Photo by Shannon Clark, Staff Reporter
A high-energy and fast paced match led to a win for the Flames tennis team on Saturday as they swept Lees-McRae, 7-0.
Due to their work as a team in the doubles and singles matches, the Flames and Lady Flames are both on a hot start to the season.
Junior business management major Cristian Pons said their confidence grew more and more, with momentum falling towards the Flames the entire way.
“The first three games we did well so our confidence was better and we played better,” Pons said.
With three strong pairs of players, the Flames won all of the doubles matches, giving them a 1-0 advantage going into singles.
Doubles partners Pons and Jesus Garcia won 6-0, along with Daniel Prata and Antonio Pons and Jake Okines and Bruno Medeiros, who also won 6-0.
“We started out strong as a team and served well, which helped us to not make many errors,” Cristian Pons said.
While the Saturday weather was cloudy with a chance of rain, the Flames still had a strong support system from the student body, as students trekked to come show support for their tennis team.
With a Saturday filled with Flames games to support, senior psychology major and soccer player Mia Hollingsworth came out to show her fellow athletes support.
“We got a lot of support during our season, and we know how great that feels, so we just wanted to come on out and do the same for the Flames [tennis team],” Hollingsworth said.
Filled bleachers and a chant of “let’s go boys” echoed through the rest of the match as the Flames finished off strong in singles, with Max Schroeder taking the contest 6-3, 6-2.
The unique game of tennis allowed for the crowd to watch and stay entertained as the Flames excelled in each match, according to Hollingsworth.
“The more you know about tennis the more enjoyable it is to watch it,” Hollingsworth said. “If you understand the point system and the different factors of it…it is a fun game to watch.”
As for the future, the Flames tennis team is one to keep on the radar as the season continues. With a current record of 3-0, the Flames are eager to continue their matches strong.
The Flames tennis team's next match will be against the University of West Florida on Saturday, Feb. 23, at the DeVos Tennis Center.
