Despite losses in their final tournaments, the Winston-Salem State tennis teams displayed seasons filled with highlights and promise returning to Division II next season.
The Lady Rams opened the Women’s Independent Tennis Tournament April 17 at Longwood University in Farmville, Va. against NC Central in a 4-1 loss.
The single point was from freshman Chelsea Chatman’s 6-1, 6-4 singles victory over NCCU’s Ashley McRae.
Chatman maintained the lead during the entire match en route to WSSU’s lone point.
The Lady Rams were swept by the Eagles in doubles action.
During the second day of the tournament, freshman Sloane Holmes recorded the only point for the Lady Rams in her defeat over Seattle University’s Areil Ohno.
For the remaining five matches in singles, Seattle dominated the next straight-set victories. Seattle also defeated WSSU in all doubles matches, winning 6-1.
April 18, the final day of tournament action, the Lady Rams were held scoreless in the 6-0 defeat versus Longwood.
The Lady Rams closed the season with a 6-18 record and will return to the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association in 2010-2011.
They are expected to return a nucleus of players including five rising sophomores, and head coach Charles Schoderbek said he plans to recruit two more players for the women’s team.
“It was huge to take the freshmen girls and see them come together as a team and have the success that they had,” said Schoderbek, the tennis coach for both the men’s and women’s teams over the past six years.
Chatman finished with seven wins overall in singles and three wins in doubles, while Holmes added eight wins in singles play.
Freshman Kayla Carter was the winner of 10 singles matches. Freshman Kalin Jarvis had eight singles wins and eight double wins.
“We won more team wise than we have won in my past three seasons combined and we defeated Norfolk State for the first time in my career. We’ve come a long way,” Schoderbek said.
The Rams participated in the Men’s Tennis Independent Tournament also at Longwood. Their first match was a 4-2 defeat from NCCU April 15.
Junior Brian Coxton had a come-from-behind win over Jack Waissen in a two-set 7-6 (10-4), 7-6 (10-6) victory in the initial singles match.
“Going into the match, I knew I what I needed to do,” Coxton said.
“So in the first set, I focused on holding serve and when I got the chance to break his serve I did. I just knew that in order for me to win, I needed to be mentally tough.”
Following Coxton’s win, the Eagles defeated the Rams the next two sets, as well as the fifth set.
In the final set of singles, freshman Mason King of WSSU defeated Christopher Mack 6-1, 6-1. King along with senior Troy Moore defeated NCCU’s Bryan Jackson and Mack 8-4 in doubles.
The Rams concluded the tournament’s first day with a 4-0 loss to host Longwood.
In the second day of action, the Rams faced NJIT as well and were given another 4-0 defeat. The Rams were dropped 6-1 to Seattle University also on April 16 in the finale.
“Overall, Brian [Coxton] had a pretty good season,” Schoderbek said.
“He had a high percentage of wins in games versus losses in games. Ian Hunter also improved a lot this year. The second half of season, I saw him relax a little more and I think he became more confident.”
Schoderbek anticipates the return of many of his players next season, including Coxton and Hunter but said he is planning to recruit more guys.
Schoderbek said he is uncertain about the status of two returning juniors, Wesley McKinney and Maximilian Glodde.
McKinney may have a fifth year of eligibility restored, and Glodde has been injured since early 2009. That injury nagged him throughout the 2010 season.
“The [Glodde] injury weakened our lineup a little bit,” Schoderbek said.
“Our record wasn’t what I was hoping it would be, but I am still pleased with the guys.”
The Rams finished with a 3-23 record in their final season of MEAC competition.
“This glass is half-full with the team we have going into Division II,” Schoderbek said.
“We should be one of the better teams right out of the box. There may be a little bit of transition time going to different places, but I think we will adjust to it.
“The teams I have are tremendous athletes, both men and women.”