The sound of sneakers echoed across the concrete; a pop and a grunt broke the silence as the fluorescent ball streamed violently across the court.
“Yes!” Jason Russell, human resource sophomore, screamed after the solid execution.
In the bleachers, his family, friends and teammates cheered the No. 1 singles club tennis player on.
His mom, Brenda Russell, an Okemos resident, has watched her son play since he picked up a tennis racket at age 8 at his grandmother’s house.
“He’s a natural,” she says. “Jason’s a scrambler. He’s going to run each ball down, he’s got the endurance and confidence in his game.”
This year, she’s become accustomed to seeing her son triumph on the court. After all, he entered the season’s finale Friday undefeated.
But for the 23-year-old singles player who routinely gets ahead and then comes from behind for a win, the cheers ended in defeat for the first time this season.
Kalamazoo Valley’s Lance Hardenborg ended Russell’s unbeaten streak with a 7-6 (7-4), 6-1 win at the Indoor Tennis Facility.
During the two-hour match, team members chanted for Russell, who strained for every loose ball.
And despite his first loss, he came off the court with a smile, talking over his game with friends - he routinely features the largest fan base.
“After the first set was so close. I ran out of steam and he hit the ball out of control,” he explained.
Russell, a graduate of Okemos High School who went undefeated and won the 1996 state championship, is a leader of the club squad - which until Friday had also not lost this year.
The squad posted an 11-1-1 record, which included a victory over the reigning national club champion North Carolina at a tournament during spring break.
Thomas Adams, a chemical engineering and computer science junior and a member of the club, in its second year, said organization and mandatory practices improved the team record.
Last year the club lost about half of its matches.
“The people on the team really want to be here,” Adams said of the squad, which has been competitive this year against both club teams and smaller varsity squads. Team members raise funds to pay for practices, equipment and travel arrangements.
Motivation aside, Adams said there’s another force behind this year’s success - Russell.
“He’s an incredible player,” Adams said. “We rely on him very much for his wins and his attitude.
“We benefit from having him as a leader.”
Russell trained under Rick Ferman, who also coached Todd Martin, an East Lansing High School graduate and professional tennis player. The two even shared the court occasionally, and Martin offered advice to Ferman’s classes.
After graduating high school, Russell opted to attend Grand Valley State University.
Russell never played organized tennis there, and decided to play competitively again after transferring to MSU in the fall.
He took part in the varsity team’s walk-on tournament - where the winner earns the spot.
Though he didn’t practice, he advanced to the semifinals before bowing out. So he joined the club team, where he’s been fine-tuning his skills to make a run for the varsity team next year.
Joe Infante, an environmental geosciences junior and the club’s coach, said he scouted Russell during varsity tryouts. And Infante said he was impressed with Russell’s dedication and work effort.
“He’s very consistent,” Infante said, “He’s definitely the best player we have.”
And it’s his work ethic that has paid dividends for the squad, teammate Adams insists.
“He always gives 100 percent and he inspires me and other team members to do the same,” he said.
As Russell competed Friday, returning backhands and forehands, his twin sister Jessica Russell, an MSU alumna, couldn’t help but keep her eyes closed.
“I think I’m more nervous than he is,” she said.
And even though he posted his first - and only - loss, Russell said he enjoys his time on the court, whether he’s triumphant or on the losing end.
The season behind him, Russell will soon return to the courts. This time, he’ll have a partner.
He plays doubles with his mom.
“Sometimes it gets crazy because you’ll get someone who will kill the ball at my mom,” he said.
And it’s then when Brenda Russell admits to telling her son, “The court’s yours.”
