By Jonathon Braden, USTA South Carolina
The Palmetto State has a new club tennis champion.
On an overcast fall day, the University of South Carolina won the 2015 USTA Tennis On Campus South Carolina Championship on Sunday. The Gamecocks beat their main rival, Clemson University, in the championship round to win their first state club tennis title since 2013
"Winning state again is the first step to making another nationals appearance," said Brian Lim, a member of the USC team. "We are excited for (the USTA Southern championship) and hope we have a good enough showing there to make it to nationals."
The win advances the Gamecocks to the USTA Tennis On Campus Southern Championship, scheduled for Feb. 26-28, 2016, in Auburn, Alabama. If they play well there, they’ll return to the USTA Tennis On Campus National Championship for the first time since 2013 as well.
The national championship will take place April 14-16, 2016, in Cary, North Carolina.
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| The 2015 USTA Tennis On Campus South Carolina Champions, from left to right, first row: Andrew DaCosta, Lauren Denuel, Madison Russell, Brian Lim; second row: Mathieu Erramuzpe, Sidney Stout, Julia Learmonth, and Ben Likins. (USTA SC photo) |
Seven teams from three schools, including the College of Charleston, competed for the state championship at the Charleston Tennis Center. The teams first played a round robin. Then the two teams that won the most games played for the state championship.
In addition to a weekend of tennis, the players enjoyed camaraderie with friends and food from Domino’s, Chick-Fil-A and Chipotle.
Teams from the three South Carolina schools likely will choose to play at the USTA Tennis On Campus Southern Championship. But the Gamecocks, with their state title, will have the highest seed among their state peers.
USTA Tennis On Campus is designed to increase recreational tennis participation and provide socially competitive coed team play for students on college campuses. The USTA Tennis On Campus program features more than 35,000 college students competing nationwide in intramural and intercollegiate coed club play using the World TeamTennis format.
Since its inception in 2000, Tennis On Campus has grown significantly and today is played on more than 650 college campuses across the country. Developed by the USTA in partnership with NIRSA, World TeamTennis and the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, the Tennis On Campus program gives college students the opportunity to build leadership skills, network in a coed sports environment and compete on a college team without the rigors of playing in a varsity program.With year-round match play and regional and national championship competition, students maintain active and healthy lifestyles through their college years.
For more information, go to tennisoncampus.com or sctennis.com/toc.
2015 USTA Tennis On Campus South Carolina Championship results
Champion – University of South Carolina
Finalist – Clemson University
Third – Clemson
Fourth – College of Charleston
Fifth – College of Charleston
Sixth – Clemson University
Seventh – College of Charleston
Past state champions
2014 – Clemson University
2013 – University of South Carolina
2012 – College of Charleston
2011 – University of South Carolina
2010 – College of Charleston
2009 – College of Charleston
2008 – College of Charleston
2007 – University of South Carolina
2006 – College of Charleston
2005 – Furman University