October 19, 2009

NORTHEAST ANNOUNCES 2010 TENNIS SPRING SCHEDULE 

BOONEVILLE, Miss. – Northeast Mississippi Community College’s men and women’s tennis teams will enter their second year of Division I play in 2010 and will face a tough schedule.

Last season, Northeast tennis coach Jeff Melson placed three groups into the semifinals of the Mississippi Association of Community/Junior Colleges’ (MACJC) 2009 State tournament and one other into the quarterfinals.

Northeast saw five female players reach the semifinals of their respective events while a men’s doubles team went into the quarterfinals of its event.
Melson will look for that same success this year with the help of some sophomore talent and leadership. 

The Lady Tigers welcome back sophomores Chrisa Holley of Booneville, Cassondra Bishop of Alcorn Central, and Alexandra Kriss of Marshall Academy.

Holley, Bishop and Kriss helped piece together runs into the semifinals in 2009 in their respective events to earn the Northeast women a sixth place finish at the state competition and only three points out of fourth.

Melson will have four freshmen on the Lady Tiger roster and leading the way for the newcomers will be Christina Puckett from Corinth followed by Cassidy Beasley (Chester County, Tenn.), Meghan Dooley (Alcorn Central), and Chelsey Whitaker (Alcorn Central). Whitaker will be pulling double duty for the Lady Tigers as a member of Ricky Ford’s women’s basketball team as well.

On the men’s side, upper classmen Josh Bascomb and Witt Lucas of Alcorn Central and Ward Bynum of Corinth will lead the way for the Tigers this spring followed by the frosh list consisting of Ben Ferrell (Alcorn Central), Ben Ford (Booneville), Collin Holley (Booneville), Matt Murphy (Alcorn Central), Michael Tennison (New Site), Cameron Tye (Corinth) and Burt Wilkerson (Ripley). 

“Wilkerson, Murphy, and Ferrell should all be immediate impact players,” said Melson. 

Last year Bascomb and Lucas -- both former teammates at Alcorn Central -- teamed up at the state tournament for the Northeast men’s doubles and were able to knock off Pearl River’s Wesley Graham and Roy Odom 6-4, 6-4 in advancing to the quarterfinals of the No. 2 doubles matches on the men’s side.

With the season opener on February 13 and the Tigers traveling to Meridian, Melson has plenty of confidence in his team’s ability and leadership.

Northeast’s first home match will be on March 5 when it squares off against Jones County Junior College at 1 p.m.

All matches will include men and women’s singles and doubles events except for the match at Snead State, that match has been set for women only.

Northeast’s final home match will come against East Central on April 6 as the Tigers and Lady Tigers tune up for the State Tournament in Tupelo on April 15-17.

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