Jaguar tennis teams travel to Columbus for the Peach Belt Conference Championship

By Rodrigo Burgos Avila | Editor in chief

Both Augusta tennis teams are headed into postseason play as the Peach Belt Conference Championships begin in Columbus, with each squad looking to build momentum after the regular season.

The men’s team wrapped up its regular season with an 8-11 record and secured the No. 6 seed in the tournament bracket. The Jags are set to take on No. 3 North Georgia on Friday, April 24 at 6 p.m., as the Jags aim to extend their season against one of the conference’s top seeds.

On the women’s side, there Jags finished with a 7-10 record, good enough for the No 7 seed in the tournament bracket, earning them a match against Flagler, whom they defeated in their latest match at the Newman Tennis Center. They will open play later in the day against the Saints with the first serve scheduled for 12 p.m. Friday. All matches will be held at the John C. Walden Tennis center, the official host of this year’s PBC championship.

Individually, the men’s team saw several standout seasons be recognized by the conference. Arthur Valette highlighted Augusta’s selections by earning the Peach Belt Conference Elite 18 award, given to the student-athlete competing in the championship with the highest grade point average (GPA). The senior from Lyon, France, competed in 18 out of the team’s 19 matches this season, finishing with a 9-7 singles record and a 6-10 mark in doubles, going an even .500 in both during conference play.

Augusta also placed multiple players on the all-conference teams. David Perret was named to the Second Team All-Conference Singles after serving as a consistent contributor throughout the season. Perret and his doubles pairing Alexis Bailache earned Second Team All-Conference Doubles honors, giving the Jaguars a reliable tandem in doubles competition.

With both teams now shifting their focus to postseason play, Augusta will look to translate regular-season growth into a strong showing on the conference stage, as they set their sights on qualifying for regionals.

Contact Rodrigo Burgos Avila at rburgosavila@augsuta.edu.

Coach Michael McGrath gives the women’s team a pep talk before their match. At the top of the page, the mens’s team does their pre-match huddle, a huge part of their routine that gets the ready for their matches. (photos by Rodrigo Burgos Avila/the Bell Ringer)