Tennis reaches ODAC Championship Game

The 2011 tennis team continued to show that they are one of the top teams in the region. They finished the season with an 11-4 record, made their fourth-straight appearance in the ODAC Championship match, and boasted a #14 regional ranking. The Tigers had an undefeated home record at 7-0 and boasted an 8-1 mark in conference play.

Rich Pugh had a 7-2 overall record at the #1 singles flight and was ranked 20th in the region. He went 6-0 in the ODAC, including a regular season 6-3 6-3 defeat of W&L’s Hayden White, who ranked sixth in the region. Pugh owns the third best #1 singles winning percentage in the conference and was one of only two players in conference to go undefeated in ODAC matches and he did not lose a single set in ODAC regular season play.

Shad Harrell recorded a 7-4 overall record, a 7-3 record at #2 singles, and was 5-2 in the ODAC. Harrell was one of only two players in conference to have only one loss at the #2 flight. Additionally, he tag teamed with high school teammate Kevin Calhoun form the best #2 doubles teams in the ODAC as they went 9-0 in ODAC regular season play, one of only three doubles teams to go undefeated in conference. Calhoun also sported a 10-3 overall singles record at the #3 flight. Calhoun went 8-3 at the #3 spot, the second best mark in the ODAC and the best of all players to play seven or more matches. However, in ODAC-only matches, Calhoun had by far the highest win percentage at .833.

Tal Covington boasted the best overall singles record of the Tigers top six with an 11-2 mark and an 8-1 record in the ODAC. Playing at the #4 flight, he went 9-2. Covington’s .818 winning percentage at #4 was the second best in the ODAC, and he defeated Teddy Callow in the regular season, who owns the top percentage at .875. In ODAC-only matches, Covington possessed the top winning percentage at .857.

Zack Pack and Ian Sammler provided outstanding contributions together at the #3 doubles flight as well as the #5 and #6 singles players. Together, they went 10-3 overall in doubles and 7-2 in the ODAC, and they owned the top winning percentage in ODAC matches at .778. Pack went 10-2 overall in singles with an 8-1 record in ODAC competition, boasting the second best winning percentage in the ODAC in singles play. Sammler was 8-3 and 7-1 in the conference, owning the top winning percentage in the #6 flight in ODAC-only matches.