By Drew Williams/sports editor

Quality is better than quantity, and it was evident at the NE Campus intramural tennis competition April 9.

After starting the tournament later than scheduled following a small turnout, the players who did show up put on quite a show.

“We didn’t expect it to be as big of an event as last year because last year, the United States Tennis Association was more heavily involved,” said organizer Kim Kerby-Dickman.

NE student Clinton Pitts looked at first to be at a disadvantage competing against students from the NE tennis class, but he got a little help from Mother Nature in the semifinals and then in the finals against Luis Suavor, winning 6-2.

“It was really about getting lucky and learning how to use the wind,” he said.

The wind was a major factor in all the games, and a major factor in Pitts winning the competition. A player serving from the north side of the court would serve into the wind giving the effect of serving into a brick wall while the other player serving from the south side of the court would get help from the wind to exert a powerful serve.

“That’s the only reason and the only way I won,” Pitts said.

After the tournament, the participants played a match of doubles with Kerby-Dickman coaching one team and student Brice Dornak coaching the other.

Dornak plays with the USTA and has played tennis competitively for 12 years. His team made a strong run to go to the USTA nationals but eventually lost in the regional competition.

“Last year, we came pretty close,” he said. “If we would have won, we would have been able to go to Hawaii for nationals.”

Kerby-Dickman said since the school doesn’t have a tennis club, she encourages all of her students to get involved with the USTA.

“We promote the USTA as much as possible,” she said. “It’s a great way for the students to get as much out of tennis as they can.”