FCHS boys varsity tennis has played five matches so far this season, and is off to a rocky, 0-7 start. Still, given that the team is hoping to improve on last year’s record of 2-11, they are not completely disappointed with how the current season is going.
“It’s been a rough start to the season, but everyone on the team has seen improvements in their whole game, and we’re going to smoke everyone in the [Jefferson District],” said Varsity Captain and junior Noah Bowman.
The season began with an away match against Goochland, where Fluvanna put up a strong fight but came away without a win. The team’s last four matches were against Rocktown, which Fluvanna played twice, as well as Albemarle and Monticello. The Flucos were unable to come out on top in any of those contests.
Although the team lost two seniors who played major roles last season, several juniors have stepped up to fill those spots. Bowman, the team’s No. 1 singles player, has made major progress on the court by putting in extra work alongside fellow captain and junior Peter Fulk.
“My goals for this season are to have the most wins on the team, just like last year, and be the team MVP again,” stated Fulk.
The boys’ team is led by head coach Tammy Lyons, who remains hopeful about the season ahead. Western and Charlottesville have dominated the Jefferson District in boys tennis for years, but Fluvanna is aiming to compete well and pick up some singles wins against those strong programs.
“I really want to beat Monticello. They have beaten us the last three years, and I really want to show what I can do against them in singles. I hope to win in doubles too,” said junior Hagan Porter.
Tennis is different from many other sports because the competition is not only against other schools. Players also compete against one another in practice almost every day to improve and earn better positions in the lineup.
There are six singles seeds on the team. In addition to Bowman as the No. 1 seed, Hagan Porter ‘27 is No. 2, Peter Fulk ‘27 is No. 3, Sean Brown ‘27 is No. 4, Nathan Brown ‘26 is No. 5, and Hunter Marshall ‘27 is No. 6. These rankings determine the singles lineup. The doubles seeds are also set, with Porter and Fulk as the No. 1 doubles team, Bowman and Sean Brown as No. 2, and Nathan Brown and Marshall as No. 3.
The full schedule for the Fluvanna County High School varsity tennis team is available on the Flying Flucos Athletics website, and this video features highlights of the team, showing you certain skills from different players as they practice hard.
