BOONE, N.C. – A pair of Appalachian State men's tennis seniors will be playing the final home match of their collegiate careers on April 15.
Seniors
Scott Webster and Alex Free had different paths to the Mountaineers' program. Webster has been on campus since his freshman year in fall 2014, while Free, a graduate transfer, began his Appalachian career in fall 2017.
Webster, one of four players on the team from outside of the United States, gained interest in the program because of the success of former Australian players at App State. The Perth, Australia, native also saw that the Mountaineers gave him an opportunity that some other schools had not.
"Coaches were constantly telling me that I wasn't good enough for their program and stuff like that, so that's been a chip on my shoulder the whole way through," Webster said. "That mainly was proving myself throughout and winning for my team."
The chip on Webster's shoulder has paid dividends. He had a breakout freshman campaign in 2015 with an 18-4 singles record en route to being named Sun Belt Freshman of the Year. Since his freshman season, Webster has posted 13 or more wins in singles competition each year, including a 14-4 mark this season.
Webster has also excelled in doubles, compiling a 50-23 career record. Webster and his current doubles partner, sophomore
Milo Bargeron, hold a 13-4 record and tie for the team lead in doubles victories in 2018.
On March 16, Webster helped push the Mountaineers past College of Charleston in a 4-3 victory. In the process, the senior notched career wins No. 100 and No. 101, winning both his singles match and doubles match over the challenging Cougars.
"At the end of the day, you're trying to win for your team," Webster said. "If you win for your team, that's all that really matters."
Free, the team's lone player from the state of Georgia, had a different goal that led him to App State: achieve his dream of becoming a Division I tennis player.
The Apps' graduate transfer spent three years in Tyler, Texas, playing at Tyler Junior College for one season and two seasons at The University of Texas at Tyler, a Division-III school.
After his time in Texas, Free received a call from
Trey Morris, a 2017 graduate of the program and one of Free's childhood friends. Free said that Morris thought he would be a good fit at Appalachian and that the team wanted him, so Free took the opportunity, fulfilling his dream of stepping on the court as a Division I tennis player.
"It's a closer-knit group of guys than I've had at my other institutions," Free said. "It shows on the court and shows in all aspects of the program."
The Mountaineers have only eight players, but the team has used its smaller numbers as an opportunity to grow closer together. That opportunity resulted in a 10-6 start, highlighted by two three-match winning streaks.
Though Webster and Free realize that their time at Appalachian is coming to a close, a variety of factors will keep them involved in the program for years to come.
Webster's brother, Ben, joined the App State team this season as a freshman. Ben's promising start has helped the Mountaineers on the court, and for Scott, having his brother on the same Division I team has been a "special" experience.
For Free, he continues to keep in touch with his former teammates in Texas. At Appalachian, his teammates have seen those same qualities of him serving as an essential voice on and off the court for this season and beyond.
"I haven't thought about what is going to happen, but I'd go to battle for those guys," Free said. "I try to keep up with all my teammates anywhere I go, and so I'll probably check in, and I'm going to be rooting for them to do their absolute best and I wish them well."
The senior duo will play on their home court just one more time against Coastal Carolina on April 15 at 11 a.m.
While App fell to Campbell on Friday in a tight bout, it was fitting that both Webster and Free earned wins in singles play with Scott's dad traveling all the way from Australia for Senior Day and Free's parents being in attendance for the match.
