Alabama State Men’s Tennis celebrates SWAC Four-Peat
On Sunday, the Alabama State men’s tennis team accomplished something few teams ever do: a Four-Peat. The Hornets earned their fourth consecutive Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament championship with a decisive 4-0 victory over Jackson State.
They returned to Montgomery Monday where supporters greeted the team as they arrived with their championship trophies.
Alabama State has dominated conference play over the past four seasons, compiling a perfect 30-0 record against SWAC opponents.
“It hasn’t been easy,” said 14th-year head coach Anuk Christiansz. “It took me a long time to build this momentum over the years. I’m just trying to let that sink in. I didn’t know that it was such a staggering amount of wins over the years.”
For the team’s underclassmen, contributing to the program’s legacy has special meaning.
“We’re really proud. We talked about this,” said sophomore Lun Obrul, a SWAC All-Tournament selection. “It feels even better the second year in a row. First year, you’re a freshmen, you don’t even really know how good it feels, so this year felt really special.”
Teammate Matteo Lataste, also a sophomore, credited the upperclassmen with establishing the program’s winning culture.
“Thanks to the seniors, because that’s all their work. That’s what they’ve been doing for four years here. That’s what they’ve been introducing us to, when we arrived as freshmen,” Lataste said.
The seniors basically didn’t give the freshman any other option besides winning the SWAC Tournament, Obrul said.
“They told us, ‘Listen, we go there, we win SWAC every year.’ So that’s what we do.”
The Alabama State men’s tennis team will learn their NCAA Tournament destination during the selection show next Monday. First-round tournament play begins the first weekend of May.
