Written by Chris O’Dell
The Bison tennis team split two matches in the Gulf South Conference Tournament last week to finish the regular season with a 16-7 record. The men’s team fell 5-0 to North Alabama in the quarterfinals of the tournament before defeating Christian Brothers 6-0 in the consolation round.
The split in the GSC tournament caps off another successful season for the Bison tennis team. Senior Marco Ruiz said the team was more competitive this year compared to last season.
“I feel like the season went very well this season,” Ruiz said. “We had a stronger team than last year, which made us have closer matches against the really good teams, as well as raise everyone’s singles and doubles records.”
Ruiz, a native of Sao Paulo, Brazil, recently earned his third straight All-GSC honor after finishing one of the most successful seasons ever by a Harding tennis player. Ruiz finished the season with a 16-1 singles record after winning his first 13 matches at number three singles. His .941 winning percentage tied the Harding record for a single season. Ruiz has one year of eligibility left at Harding and said he has enjoyed his time on the Bison tennis team.
“I have had a blast playing tennis at Harding,” Ruiz said. “I have had a great time during the practices, team meetings and trips. Everyone on our team is great, especially [Head Tennis] Coach [David] Elliott, who treats all of us like his sons and daughters.”
Although Ruiz will be leaving Harding after next season, the young talent on the team is making sure the successful tradition continues for the Bison tennis team.
Henrique Ruiz, Marco’s brother, joined the team this year and has already collected his first All-GSC honor after posting a 12-5 singles record at number two singles. Henrique and Marco also teamed up at number one doubles and collected a 14-4 record together. Marco said Elliott is constantly looking to improve his team.
“I am sure that Harding’s tennis team is getting stronger every year,” Marco Ruiz said. “We might have a few new players on our team next year, which makes all of us really excited with the idea of doing even better during next year’s season.”
The Bisons had two freshmen on this year’s team to go along with four sophomores. The young talent coupled with Marco Ruiz and players like juniors Olzhas Taniyev and Jared Walters should be sure to keep the Bison tradition alive for years to come.
After finishing as a runner-up in the GSC West this season, the Bisons now await word whether or not they will be invited to the NCAA tournament. Marco Ruiz said the idea of a possible NCAA Tournament bid is very exciting for him and his teammates.
“If we do get into the NCAA tournament, I am sure that we have a great chance of doing well, especially in the first round,” Marco Ruiz said. “I am actually really excited about it because we always get to compete against really strong and well-ranked teams from all over the country.”
