Both Jaguar tennis teams undefeated in SWAC

Southern University head tennis coach Jeffrey Conyers has a lot to be thankful for this season thanks to several things.
First, Conyers has the unusual luxury of resting players on both teams going into the Southwestern Athletic Conference Championships played April 17-20 in Alexandria.
Second, both men’s and women’s teams are undefeated and atop the SWAC Western division, giving them a first round bye and added time to regroup after a road-trip to Texas in which the Jaguars take on Lamar University, Texas-San Antonio, and University of Houston.
The extra day of rest may be just what the Jaguars need as it prepares to end its thrilling season with a championship bid.
“It feels real good to have both teams leading the Western division,” Conyers said. “It gives us one more day of rest going into the championships. Tournament play starts next Friday, so we’ll watch as the two and three seeds go at it hard and wear themselves down. Then we’ll go back at it Saturday in the semi-final round of match play.”
Southern’s women squad faces the winner of Jackson State and Grambling. The women had major success against both teams in the regular season winning both matches by a margin of 7-0 when the schools visited Baton Rouge.
The men face the winner of Alcorn and Grambling. The men defeated both teams in the regular season with match victories by a margin of 4-3 against both schools.
But Southern’s successful season didn’t begin that way.
In fact, Conyers watched as his women dropped its first seven matches against out-of-conference foes Xavier, Ole Miss, McNeese State, Louisiana-Monroe, Murray State, Memphis and Texas-Pan American before blanking Alabama State, 7-0 and going on to sweep the remainder of SWAC competition.
Conyers’ men followed the same path as well, losing its first five matches to out-of-conference opponents Xavier, Florida A&M, Arkansas-Little Rock, LSU and Texas-Pan American before defeating Alabama State, 6-1, beginning a string of eight consecutive conference match wins.
“We played some tough matches at the beginning of the season and we hung in there with some teams,” Conyers said. “The outcomes could have been a lot better. We had chances to win a couple of those matches with a doubles point here and a doubles point there, but it wasn’t to be. That doubles point is very critical. It’s crucial to win doubles points because when you get down the seams you only need three matches to clinch the win.”
What Conyers hopes will happen next week is that his Jaguars learn from their ups and downs this season and orchestrate championship runs on both sides.
“The main thing we’ve been concentrating on this season is not only the stroke production but really believing and learning how to be a jaguar,” Conyers said. “Many athletes have put Southern University on a high pedestal in other sports, and in tennis we’re trying to get there. We have the game to be there, and if we keep that in mind, we’ll be successful next week.”
Both teams lost matches against in-state rival Southeastern by a margin of 7-0 Wednesday in Baton Rouge, but still hold the joy of finishing SWAC play in sole possession of first place.
“It’s a good thing,” Conyers said. “We haven’t been undefeated on both sides since our good run from 2002-2005. Back then we were winning championships consecutively, and it looks like the good days are returning for SU tennis.”
“Hopefully next week we’re going to make a good run at the championships on both sides,” Conyers said.
“None of the teams we face on the road trip worry me or the players,” Conyers said. “We just have to stay focused and play like we’ve been playing. We’re playing at a high level right now and we want to keep it going through the championships.”
The good days for Conyers and the SU tennis program could very well be in the coming years as the Jaguars are youthful and in position to take both men’s and women’s titles this year.
Plus, the men’s team will be returning all six players and the women’s team only has one senior, Sidney Lartique.
“We have a young team,” Conyers said. “We’ll only lose one player, Sidney Lartique off the women’s team.”
NOTES
Southern’s women finished (7-7, 7-1) last season, a mark good enough for first in the Western division.
Its only conference loss came to Alabama A&M, 4-3. Like this season the women had a first round bye in last years SWAC Championships, but were defeated by Alabama A&M, 4-2 in the semi-final round. Southern’s men finished (8-9, 7-1) last season with its only conference loss coming to Prairie View A&M, 4-2.
The men defeated Alabama State in the first round of the SWAC Championships, but were eliminated in the semi-final round by Alcorn, 5-1.