Belmont, NC – The Hampden-Sydney College Tigers tennis team traveled to Belmont Abbey College for the Belmont Abbey College Crusader Invitational on September 2, and September 3. There were no team scores for the event as H-SC competed against Belmont Abbey College, North Carolina Wesleyan College, Coker University, and Columbia (SC) College in singles and doubles matches.
"Our team gained valuable experience this past weekend in Belmont," said fifth-year head coach Byron Balkin. "This fall is about hammering down important competitive, technical and tactical skills so having the guys on court against quality opponents will pay dividends down the road as we work through these things. I also want to add how important it is to get the team bonding in the fall on the road. The next two weeks for us will be a crucial training block to work on games."
Over the two days the Tigers took eight singles victories. Sophomore Taylor Fox (Virginia Beach) and freshman Dillon McReynolds (Abingdon) each had a pair of wins. Also claiming a singles match victory were sophomore Nick Beaudoin (Norfolk), sophomore Henry Singleton (Richmond), sophomore John Kendrick (Birmingham, AL), and freshman Tanner Allison (Midlothian).
H-SC took seven doubles wins with seven different pairings over the weekend. Singleton was a part of the most wins as three of his doubles matches ended in victories. He took victories with senior Patrick Conde (Virginia Beach), freshman Casey Coffey (Midlothian) and Allison. Four Tigers won two doubles matches with Allison and Conde grabbing a win as a pair, Coffey got a doubles win paired with Fox, and sophomore Barrett Foster (Virginia Beach) won with McReynolds and Kendrick, who each had one doubles victory apiece along with Fox.
Balkin said, "we really appreciate the support we got from our alumni in North Carolina as well, so cool to see familiar faces cheering us on!"
H-SC will be back in action on September 23, through September 25, when it travels to Kiawah Island, SC to take part in the Kiawah Island Exhibitions.
