On what turned out to be a perfect weekend for fall tennis at the South Fulton Tennis Center, the 2022 HBCU National Tennis Championships once again showcased the talent and excitement found within HBCU tennis programs over the three days of competition at the 21st annual event.
Featuring representatives from 14 different HBCU programs from across the country, the HBCU National Championships not only offer a unique opportunity for current student-athletes to compete amongst each other, but the event also serves as a showcase and educational opportunity for younger players who aspire to compete at the collegiate level one day.
Throughout the high school combine, attendees were able to hear from HBCU head coaches as well as members of the USTA on the collegiate process and how to reach their dreams of playing in college. Additionally, representatives from Albany State, South Carolina State, and Howard were also in attendance providing information to these attendees about enrolling in college and continuing the educational experience.
On the courts, it was Alabama State (Men’s) and Xavier University of Louisiana (Women’s) taking home the Team National Titles at the 2022 HBCU National Tennis Championships. The win marked the first HBCU National Title for Alabama State and the third HBCU National Title for the XULA women’s team.
Final team standings can be found below:
Men’s Team Standings
- Alabama State University – 30
- Tennessee State University – 19
- Alabama A&M University – 17
- Xavier University of Louisiana – 17
- North Carolina Central University – 8
- Johnson C. Smith University – 4
- Shaw University – 3
- Tuskegee University – 3
- LeMoyne-Owen College – 0
Women’s Team Standings
- Xavier University of Louisiana – 25
- North Carolina Central University – 22.5
- Alabama A&M University – 22
- Alabama State University – 21.5
- Florida A&M University – 21
- Shaw University – 16
- Tennessee State University – 12
- Albany State University – 10
- Johnson C. Smith University – 5
- Grambling State University – 3
- Tuskegee University – 3
- Clark Atlanta University – 1
- LeMoyne-Owen College – 1
- Bowie State University – 0
Final team standings are calculated based on results from across the singles and doubles flights with more points being awarded for higher finishes with more emphasis being placed on higher flights of play as well.
In total, the men’s team champions, Alabama State, had three student-athletes finish as Champions in their flight as David Jeanne-Grandinot won the Flight B Singles Draw, while David Jeanne-Grandinot and Matis Amier were crowned Flight B Doubles Champions. Additionally, the Hornets had players finish as runner-up across all five draws which helped propel them to the 11-point victory.
On the Women’s side, the XULA doubles team of Tianna Dixon and McKenna Wheatley picked up points by winning the Flight B Doubles Draw, while Valetina Largarcha finished as runner-up in the Flight C Singles Draw. Winning by just 2.5 points over the runners-up, North Carolina Central, XULA repeats as HBCU National Champions after winning the tournament in 2021 as well.
Individual flight winners can be found below:
Men’s Flight A Singles Results:
- Champion: Jonasz Dziopak (Tennessee State)
- Runner-Up: Ruan Du Preez (Alabama State)
Men’s Flight B Singles Results:
- Champion: David Jeanne-Grandinot (Alabama State)
- Runner-Up: Matis Amier (Alabama State)
Men’s Flight C Singles Results:
- Champion: Nereo Suarez (Xavier University, Louisiana)
- Runner-Up: Kristofer Johnson (Alabama State)
Men’s Flight A Doubles Results:
- Champions: Bain/Woody (Xavier University, Louisiana)
- Runners-Up: Du Preez/Bajracharya (Alabama State)
Men’s Flight B Doubles Results:
- Champions: Jeanne-Grandinot/Amier (Alabama State)
- Runners-Up: Johnson/Bertone (Alabama State)
Women’s Flight A Singles Results:
- Champion: Jasmine Boyd (Alabama A&M)
- Runner-Up: Kennedy Hill (North Carolina Central)
Women’s Flight B Singles Results:
- Co-Champion: Genesis Whitelock (Florida A&M)
- Co-Champion: Claudia Orsini (Alabama State)
Women’s Flight C Singles Results:
- Champion: Alejandra Hildalgo (North Carolina Central)
- Runner-Up: Valetina Largarcha (Xavier University, Louisiana)
Women’s Flight A Doubles Results:
- Champions: Rodriguez/Quiroz (Unattached)
- Runners-Up: Whitelock/Harris (Florida A&M)
Women’s Flight B Doubles Results:
- Champions: Dixon/Wheatley (Xavier University, Louisiana)
- Runners-Up: Ogunwale/Raulerson (Albany State)
