MGCCC tennis team plays tough at Faulkner St.

Victoria Hagel (left) and Charmaine Purvis

Lin Jacobsen

Since Gary Bourgeois has been the tennis coach at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, his teams have always played their toughest competition early in the season. 2009 is no different, as the Bulldogs traveled to Alabama to take on national power Faulkner St.

The men’s team lost eight matches to one, with several of those losses coming in three-set tie breakers. The Bulldogs win came as Josh Lang and Lin Jacobsen won their doubles match 8-6.

The women’s team lost six matches to three, with Victoria Hagel and Charmaine Purvis winning 8-4 in a doubles match. Hagel also won her singles match 6-1, 7-5, while Megan Terrell won her match 0-6, 6-3, 10-8 in a tie breaker.

Although it was a disappointing loss, the young players played with heart and will improve as the year goes on,” Bourgeois said. “It’s important that they get their feet wet and find out what college tennis is all about. I stress the point that it’s not how we start but how we finish that’s important.”

Gulf Coast takes on Hinds this Thursday afternoon at the Biloxi Tennis Center.