Tusculum College is located about an hour from Bristol. For Courtney Conley, it feels a lot like home.
Conley is one of three Tennessee High graduates on the Tusculum College women’s tennis team as former Vikings Megan Buckmaster and Blake Thompson also play for the NCAA Division II school located in Greene County, Tenn.
The trio has played a key role for the Pioneers.
“It’s fun because we’re all really, really close,” Conley said. “Blake plays No. 5 [singles] and has won a lot of matches for us. Then Megan, who’s [a sophomore], is our No. 3 player. We originally played doubles [together] at the beginning of the year and it was like high school all over again.”
For Conley, her sophomore season has been full of ups and downs.
After playing No. 2 singles last year, she took over the top spot when Katelyn Doss – Tusculum’s No. 1 player and another native Bristolian (she starred at Virginia High) – went down with a season-ending injury.
“It’s been a lot different,” Conley said. “It’s been a good experience though. I’ve enjoyed it and had a lot of tough matches and three-setters.”
Through the fall and spring season, Conley has gone 6-14 in singles and 8-12 in doubles play.
For the former Big Eight Conference Player of the Year who led the Vikings to new heights during her prep career, the collegiate level has offered some new challenges.
“The competition level for sure,” Conley said. “Each team we play has been pretty tough this year. I played No. 1 in high school and I would, maybe, only have a couple of hard matches each year. Every player is really tough [in college].”
Conley knows someone that can relate. Her older sister, Caitlin, is an All-Appalachian Athletic Conference performer and top player at Milligan College.
“We keep up with each other’s matches and how we do,” Courtney Conley said.
Conley also holds the distinction of being one of the most unique two-sport athletes on the Tusculum campus. She’s a cheerleader for the Pioneers as well.
“It’s fun,” Conley said. “It definitely keeps me busy.”
And it’s something else that makes Tusculum a home away from home for the former THS star.
“I love it here,” she said. “Our team is extremely close.”
thayes@bristolnews.com | Twitter:@Hayes_BHCSports | (276) 645-2570
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