Snead State Tennis Team Wins Third Consecutive State Championship after Tiebreaker
Snead State
4/17/2010

Decatur, AL ? Snead State Community College?s Tennis Team took home its third consecutive state championship title on Saturday, April 17, at the Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC) Region XXII Tournament which was held at Point Mallard Park.

?The past two years coaches at the tournament were quoted saying SSCC dominated the tournament,? said Head Coach Steve Machen. ?This year, coaches said we were the team to beat. SSCC was the top pick at the coaches meeting to seed the draws.?

This is where the story unfolds. Two days before the tournament, Anna Davidson, the team?s No. 1 player, was declared unplayable by an orthopedic doctor due to an injury she received earlier that week. The ACCC rules state that a team cannot substitute in place of an injured position; you have to move everyone up a position and add a new person at the bottom.

?Every one of our six singles positions had to play one position higher than they had competed in all year,? said Coach Machen.

?Each of us stepped up, worked hard and never gave up,? commented Katie Kilgore, a member of the SSCC Tennis Team. ?We really pulled together as a team at the tournament, and it was an experience that I will always cherish. It has been a true honor to play for Coach Machen and with the rest of the girls. Nationals, here we come!?

The team was tied 10-10 on points won in the tournament. One remaining doubles team was still on the court and had split sets, forcing a tie breaker to decide the match. SSCC got behind 4-1, but managed to come back and win 10-8. With that win, SSCC was declared state champions with 11 tournament points.

?I am very proud of our team,? said Leah Knight, member of the SSCC Tennis Team. ?We have worked so hard all year long and have overcome so many obstacles together; with every challenge, we became stronger. To be able to represent Snead State at the National Tournament means a lot to each of us.?

Coach Machen was also honored by being awarded ?Coach of the Year.?

The National Tournament will be played at the Reffkin Tennis Center in Tucson, Arizona May 2-6. For more information about the tournament, visit www.reffkintenniscenter.com/tournament_njcaa_2010.