The NCAA tennis season doesn’t get underway until January, but that doesn’t mean N.C. State players aren’t competing in tournaments.
Junior Austin Powell carried the flag for the Wolfpack at the ITA All-American Tournament in Tulsa, Okla., last week. Powell came through the qualifying draw and advanced to the round of 16 before falling to Guillermo Alcorta of Oklahoma 6-4, 6-1.
“We got down there and had a couple good days to prepare, and as I approached my first match I felt really confident,” Powell said. “I was able to carry that confidence over the course of the week.”
Two of Powell’s teammates, senior Sean Weber and freshman Nick Horton, competed in the doubles portion of the tournament. Weber and Horton also came through the qualification rounds, dropping a tough match in the first round of main draw play to Mikelis Libetis and Hunter Reese of Tennessee 8-6.
“[Nick and Sean] played some really good matches as well,” Powell said. “Overall it was a really good tournament for us. We like to use the fall to get better and work on things and prepare for the team season in the spring.”
Powell said the difference between the fall season, which places and emphasis on individual tournament play, and the spring more doubles tournaments.
“It’s much lower key,” Powell said. “You don’t have guys behind the fence trying to get under your skin,” “It’s a lot more under control than a team match.”
A native of Muscle Shoals, Ala., Powell trained with former Wolfpack All-American Jay Weinacker at the Smith Stearns Tennis Academy. He credits Weinacker as a strong influence in his tennis career and does not regret leaving his home state for Raleigh.
“When I was 17, I got involved with [Weinacker],” Powell said. “He introduced me to N.C. State and showed me what team tennis was all about. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
Through his first two seasons, Powell amassed 46 singles victories in both fall and spring play. His 21 singles wins as a sophomore were the most for the team, and he teamed with fellow junior Beck Bond to collect nine doubles wins last season. For good measure, he was named to the 2013 All-ACC Academic Team as well.
Last season, Powell was part of a Pack team that advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, winning its first postseason match since 2007.
Powell said he expects the Wolfpack to be even hungrier this time around.
“Last year we were pretty young, and now we’ve got a lot of upperclassmen,” Powell said. “We also have a talented group of underclassmen. I think this is the strongest team we’ve had in quite a long time, and hopefully we’ll have the best season we’ve had in a while.”
Such as many college athletes, Powell said he enjoys watching professional tennis players on television in his spare time. He has several favorite players among the world’s best.
“Novak Djokovic is probably my number-one favorite player,” Powell said. “But If I could meet one pro, it would be Roger Federer because of the person that he is.”
