Bahney and Holloway Pull Upset En Route to ITA Final

Meridian, MS—With a huge break of serve in the 13^th and penultimate game of the 8-game pro set, Adam Bahney and Max Holloway were on the verge of reaching the finals of the 2015 Southern JUCO USTA/ITA Small College Regional Championship at the Northeast Park Tennis Center.  All that was left for the impossible to become possible was for the Tiger tandem to hold Bahney's serve, a very doable proposition considering that Bahney has a rocket for a serve.

Bahney and Holloway forged ahead to a 40-love lead in that 14^th and final game.  Bahney's first serve smacked the top of the tape and fell benignly to the ground.  Second serve.  And oh, what a second serve it was! 

Silence stole over the crowd.  Anticipation hung in the air. 

Bahney tossed the ball high, arched his back, and reared back and let a kick serve for the ages fly off his racket.  The ball spun into the corner, took a terrific bounce, and bounded away from the outstretched racket of Meridian's Jason Pimenta.  Game!  Set!  Match!  Upset!

Meridian Community College's No. 1-seeded duo of Jason Pimenta and Samuel Butler met their match and then some on that Friday afternoon. 

"What a match that was!" said MMI head tennis coach Charles Wright.  "Max and Adam played with a tremendous amount of grit and determination.  Each team held and held and held, and then, when the match was on the line, our team came up with the big returns and the big break in the 13^th game of the match.

"Enthralling as that break was, Bahney's service game was even more so.  When Adam and Max went up 40-love, I thought the match was theirs, and it was.  I just wasn't expecting the second-service ace on match point.  After Adam cracked the first serve into the net, I thought he might play it safe on the second, but that was not the case.  Adam went for broke.  As I was sitting there mesmerized, everything seemed to slow down and stand still.  I saw the ball explode off the court and kick wide.  Pimenta was completely fooled on the serve.  I exploded out of my chair.  What a way to end a match!"