The UB WestVic Academy of Sport: Tennis program has taken out the inaugural Tennis Victoria: Victorian Regional Academies of Sport (VRAS) Challenge which was played at Melbourne Park over the weekend.
After playing and defeating the SouthWest Academy of Sport and Sunraysia Academy of Sport squads in the first two rounds, the Academy was in a very healthy position and knew the final round against the Gippsland Sports Academy would determine who took out the event.
All doubles matches were played first and the combinations of Lachlan King / Ben Robinson, Baden Stevens / Zoe Hives and Ashleigh Jolliffe / Rachel Mc Rae played some fantastic tennis to win one of the three sets.
Moving into the singles, the Academy team had to win four of the six matches to take out the event. This represented a very big challenge for the UB WestVic Team as the Gippsland team was very strong, however Peter Joyce, Academy head coach, was confident that the team would be able to rise the occasion. After two hours of tough and determined singles tennis, the UB WestVic Academy of Sport finished up taking out five of the six singles matches and claiming the inaugural Tennis Victoria VRAS Challenge.
Special thanks must be extended to the families of each of the athletes who travelled down to Melbourne Park to provide support for the UB WestVic Academy team and to Peter Joyce for the guidance he has provided the Academy tennis squad over the past two years. It is clear to all, that the Tennis program is heading in the right direction and is providing western Victoria's junior tennis community with the chance to reach their full potential.
