Today@Sam Article
SHSU Tennis Team Kicking Off 2024 Season
Jan. 25, 2024
SHSU Media Contact: Mikah Boyd
The Sam Houston State University Tennis Team is running full speed this year with hope on the horizon. After a rocky Fall 2023 season due to key player injuries, the team is back and better than ever, with the hope that their new state-of-the-art tennis complex will be ready soon.
In their first match of the year, the Kats will take on Prairie View A&M University in a double header on Jan. 26, with the first serves at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. at the McAdams Tennis Center. The action will continue at 11 a.m. on the 27th, when the Kats host University of Texas at Tyler.
Head coach Rob Hubbard is optimistic about the upcoming season and hopes to bounce back after suffering losses last season due to his top two players being out with injuries.
“We’ve got a couple of tremendous freshmen that have come in and they’re doing well so we’re excited about them,” Hubbard said. “If we all stay healthy, I think we’re in a good spot and I think we’re going to have our share of good results.”
The team has been practicing at every available opportunity, squeezing in training between bouts of rain and freezing temperatures. Outside of official team practices, Hubbard says his players have been training hard, including star player Megan Basson. As she recovered from her injury, Basson has been hitting the courts and keeping her skills sharp for the upcoming matches.
While PVAMU and SHSU originally considered moving back their matches, both teams decided it would be best to start the season and get in as many matches as possible before conference play begins. Hubbard has his sights set on lofty goals for conference play this season and feels confident that his team can turn things around.
“We’re looking to recover from last year’s hiccup, we had a really good run the six years prior and so I’m looking for us to be competitive again,” Hubbard said. “Our ultimate goal is always to go after that conference championship. With Conference USA being one of the top nine conferences in the NCAA, we have our work cut out for us.”
On top of upcoming conference play, the team is looking forward to the Beckner Tennis Center’s completion. Like the team’s practice schedule, work on the new complex has seen recent setbacks due to turbulent winter weather. Hubbard shared that the team is hoping for a chance to practice and compete in the new facility before conference play begins.
“We’re really excited about Chuck and Wanda Beckner’s donation to the center, it was just so gracious of them to contribute that money for our tennis center,” Hubbard said. “They’re great people and they’ve really helped us take our tennis program to another level with the type of tennis center we’re going to have when it’s complete.”
The center will feature new courts with electronic scoreboards, live-streaming capabilities and a new building that will have offices for the coaches and a space for the team to relax after practice. Hubbard said the state-of-the-art facility will rival those of other Division I universities in our conference and allow SHSU to host district high school tournaments and USTA events again. By hosting these events and promoting the new facility, Hubbard hopes to engage potential recruits and show them that SHSU is the best choice for pursuing their academic and athletic goals.
“When you have a facility like the one we’re going to have, it’ll be a huge help in recruiting,” Hubbard said. “Most of my kids are international and to have live streaming that the parents in Europe or wherever they’re from can watch their kids play a home match live is really appealing to our recruits and their families.”
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