The Tribune

COMING off a stellar 2020/21 season as conference champions, Abigail Simms and the Indiana Tech women’s tennis team competed at the IWU Fall Classic, gaining a pair of wins over the weekend.

Indiana Tech won over Olivet Nazarene University, 5-0, and Huntington University, 4-0 on Saturday at the Sutter Tennis Center and Klopfenstein Tennis Courts, respectively.

Simms won for Tech 6-1, 7-5 at number three singles flight over Olivet University. Against Huntington the first flight of Simms/Gomez came away with a 6-1 victory to secure the doubles point.

Indiana Tech (4-0) returns to action September 29 with the start of the ITA Midwest Regional Championships hosted by Indiana Wesleyan University.

Jacobi Bain debuted for Xavier University Gold Rush with a 6-0, 6-2 victory in the C-bracket against Cheng Chang Yang of Alabama A&M.

Jacobi reached the men’s singles quarterfinals Friday of the historically black colleges and universities (HBCU) National Tennis Championships.

Xavier University of Louisiana, representing the NAIA, took home both the women’s and men’s team titles.

It is the first time in XULA history the women and men have won the HBCU National Tennis Championships team title in the same year.

For the men, it’s their third HBCU title, as they won back-to-back in 2015 and 2016.

The 2021 HBCU National Tennis Championships began Thursday, September 16 and concluded Sunday, September 19, with action over the four days taking place at the South Fulton Tennis Center in Atlanta, Georgia.

The HBCU National Tennis Championships provide HBCU tennis programmes an opportunity to compete for team, singles, and doubles national championships, and enjoy building camaraderie off the court. The event is a precursor to the tennis season.

Coming off All-Freshman accolades Sydney Clarke and the UAB Blazers will compete in the Mercer Gridion Classic Oct 1-3.

Bahamian Kofi Bowe who is New to the college scene for the Johnson C Smith Golden Bulls will play against Brevard College on September 26. Donte Armbrister and the Hampton University Tennis team expect to see action in the next few months when the season kicks off.

Sierra Donaldson and the Lee Flames will take on Young Harrison October 8.

Elana Mackey and the Mars Hill University Lions will take on Young Harris October 6 and África Smith will compete as a junior for Bethune-Cookman Wildcats.

Hannah-Joy Simms and the Brescia Bearcats fall schedule includes a contest at the River State Conference Invitational, as well as trips to University of Southern Indiana Fall Invitational and home matches against Johnson University and Kentucky Wesleyan.

The Lady Bearcats will host Kentucky Wesleyan and Johnson University at Owensboro Tennis Center the weekend of September 24-25 in their first fall home match.

The Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association (BLTA) congratulates Bain on this great start to his collegiate tennis career and Simms on the opening wins with the Tech Warriors.

The BLTA looks forward to another productive and impressive season from its collegiate players including Sydney Clarke, Sierra Donaldson, Hannah-Joy Simms, África Smith, Elana Mackey, Donte Armbrister and Kofi Bowe.