COVID-19 Halts GC Tennis Season

COVID-19 Halts GC Tennis Season

Ben Grunert | Staff Writer

The GC men’s and women’s tennis seasons came to a temporary pause when a team bus driver tested positive for COVID-19. The team returned from their away match at Flagler March 13, and they were forced into a lengthy quarantine due to direct COVID-19 exposure.

Over the past few weeks, the athletes were forced to quarantine at their apartments. Freshman players were asked to leave their dorm buildings and stay with their teammates during the period.

Freshman Enzo Sergi had to leave his dorm room in Wells Hall to go live with some of his teammates at off-campus apartments. Sergi hails from France and came to GC for the first time this spring.

“It was very different for me,” Sergi said. “I had not lived anywhere outside of campus since I came to the United States, so it was a new experience for me.”

Several matches were postponed and rescheduled due to the quarantine. The Bobcats were slated to face Valdosta State University March 17, but the non-conference showdown was cancelled and removed from the schedule.

The Bobcats were unable to practice at the campus courts or attend class during the quarantine. The sudden change in routine forced the players to deal with more adversity during the quarantine period.

Ashton Morrison, the lone freshman on the women’s team, lives in Wells Hall. Morrison also had to leave campus, and the transition to online classes was a tough adjustment for her.

“Moving out of the dorms was a tough adjustment because the news came so abruptly,” Morrison said. “Most of my teachers were great and accommodating since I wasn’t able to be there in person. It was definitely difficult to try and keep up with work while being away from the school environment.”

As the Bobcats return to the tennis courts, they must work harder than ever to regain their rhythm as a team. Returning freshman Sebastian Nunez expressed the challenge of halting play midseason, along with the importance of getting back into the swing of things.

“You get set in your normal routine, so it was a difficult adjustment to be thrown out of that routine,” Nunez said. “That being said, we need to work hard to get our rhythm back. It was important to continue practicing on our own during the quarantine to try and maintain some rhythm.”

The women’s team finished their quarantine March 29, and the men’s team returned to campus two days later. They faced Young Harris on Friday in a tough 6-1 road loss before falling at North Georgia last Monday.

The men’s team is 2-5 on the young season, and they will look to bounce back from their recent struggles when they take on Columbus State at home Tuesday. It will be a tough task for the Bobcats as Columbus State holds the top spot in the national Division II Men’s Tennis rankings.

Meanwhile, the women sit at 4-5 this spring. They will also face Columbus State on Tuesday. The Columbus State women’s team is currently ranked13 in the nation.

After extended time away from the courts, the GC tennis teams are excited to be back in action. The quarantine may have put a roadblock in the season, but the players will look to finish the season strong as they regain their rhythm.