MARYVILLE, Tenn. - Maryville's men's tennis team played against Piedmont University on Friday, April 10th in a key conference matchup. For the first time in school history, Maryville ended up taking the win against the Lions, by a 4-3 scoreline and improving their record to 9-6 on the year.
Doubles was incredibly important for the Scots, and #1 pair Steven Fitzsimmons and James Smith quickly jumped on their opportunity to win, taking their match 6-1 and pushing the Scots into a great position to clinch the doubles point. After 10 minutes, and a close loss at the #2 line, #3 pair Grant Price and Benjamin Schneider clinched the doubles point for the Scots, winning their match 6-4 and garnering emphatic support from their teammates and supporters.
Singles took their momentum from the doubles point and looked to continue to push the lead. Smith playing at #1 singles was the first to open the scoring for the Scots, winning his match comfortably with a 6-3, 6-1 score. Field Myatt was the next to add a point for the Scots, beating his opponent at #3 singles with a 6-3, 6-4 scoreline to make the overall score 3-0, adding tons of suspense with Price in a great position to clinch the match for the Scots. At the #2 position, he delivered the knockout blow to the Lions with a 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 win, extending his win streak to 10 in a row and securing the win for the Scots.
This is the first time a Maryville College tennis team has defeated Piedmont, but it was certainly a close encounter, as the next three matches went the Lion's way. Nevertheless, this was a moment to savor for the team.
The Scots look to take their program defining win and play against a formidable Johnson University (TN) on Tuesday, April 14th. The match will start at 4 p.m.
