As hard work took their season to new heights, the College of the Desert men’s tennis team won the CCCAA Men’s Tennis State Championship over NorCal American River on Saturday, April 23.
“We really peaked toward the end of the season. We put a lot of hard work in; the guys started practicing harder and they raised the level of their game,” Guy Fritz, head coach of the College of the Desert (COD) team, said. “They’re playing at their best right now.”
Not only did COD take the championship but they did so with a perfect 19-0 record, according to an article posted by the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA). The incredible season also found the team losing just six points the entire season and only one point after their first two games.
Prior to COVID, the COD men’s tennis team won the 2020 championship, and this latest success marks their 16th championship overall, CCCAA reports in the article.
This was a year of making up for pandemic setbacks. Three of the team’s players, Elijah Strode, Marco Alvarez and Raymundo Chavez, were all unable to play last season because of the pandemic but came back this year and defended their 2020 victory, according to the article.
The April 23 championship was a victory for sportsmanship as well. CCCAA reports that both teams agreed to play all matches to completion despite it only taking five points to secure the win. Although the COD Roadrunners swept the Beavers, both teams still cheered hard for their teammates in the final matches, showing sportsmanship at its best.
