Freshman Davies is Making an Impact for Gamecock Tennis
April 5, 2018
Megan Davies didn’t want to be told she would immediately be at the top of the lineup when making her choice to play college tennis. She wanted to go to a place that would make her earn it. The freshman from Wolverhampton, England, is in the No. 5 ranked South Carolina lineup at No. 5 singles and No. 3 doubles, and she’s excited about the competition within the team to be there.
“One of the things I always asked coaches when I was recruited was where I was going to play in the lineup,” Davies said. “Here, they said ‘not in the top three.’ I didn’t want to come to a school where I was going to be in the top three straight away. I wanted to start at the bottom and work my way up. I wanted to be in the lineup straight away, but they said ‘yeah, you’ve got to work hard and bring it every day. If you don’t bring it every day, you won’t make it.’ That’s what I try to do.”
“That’s a pretty mature outlook,” said South Carolina head coach Kevin Epley. “For tennis, that’s a better outlook because it means she has people ahead of her that are going to help her improve. The fact that she doesn’t want people to hand her something for nothing, that’s a testament to her character. She wanted to prove herself and show that she belongs there.”
Davies held a top-20 ITF ranking in Great Britain and was crowned a national champion in singles and doubles at the Nike British Junior National Championships before coming to South Carolina. She hasn’t disappointed in her first year with the Gamecocks, posting a 25-6 overall record in singles, including a 10-3 mark in dual singles matches this spring.
There are plenty of adjustments for a freshman international student-athlete, but Davies has taken them in stride so far.
She has had her challenges, but she bounces back. She’s not one to dwell.
Coach Kevin Epley
“Coming from England to here is an adjustment itself,” Davies said. “We speak the same language, so that’s not much of an issue, but the culture is a bit different. Everyone is way more relaxed here, which is nice. I enjoy it. What I miss the most about being home is simply being home. That’s where mom is and my siblings.
“I’ve had little blips of troubles, but I’ve always had my teammates to bounce off of. Our coaches are really easy to communicate with, so if I’m having any kind of trouble, then it doesn’t last very long.”
“I’ve had a lot of international players at the four schools where I’ve worked, and her adjustment has been the quickest, for sure,” Epley said. “You just don’t expect an international kid to adapt to the American culture, the culture of the tennis team and the type of tennis that we play right away. Managing the social life, school and tennis takes some time, and then you always have to deal with some home sickness early on. For her, there was no resistance. She has had her challenges, but she bounces back. She’s not one to dwell.”
With the Gamecock roster consisting six American student-athletes and four international student-athletes, Davies enjoys the cultural melting pot within the team. Although England and the United States share the same language, she enjoys seeing differences in how the language is used.
“Everyone gets on really well,” Davies said. “One of my first days, I asked someone if we were joining that que. And they said, ‘what’s a que?’ I’ve noticed that how I say some words are a bit different. So now I say things the American way because it doesn’t sound right.
“The heat in the summer was a shock. That was really hard. Everybody’s so much nicer down here.”
Davies had visited other schools in different parts of the United States, and South Carolina was the last place she toured.
“It just felt right,” Davies said. “I like the way the coaches were with the players, and how the players were with each other. I watched one of the practices, and they were so intense.”
That intensity has carried over on to the court. Junior tennis players compete primarily as individuals, but Davies has enjoyed the concept of team tennis at the college level.
“Everyone is on the same page and wants the same goal,” Davies said. “When you’re on your own and on the road, sometimes it’s hard to stay motivated to do it every day. When you’re here with a team, there’s not a time when you don’t want to do it every day.
“When you’re playing a match and you hit a winner or you win the point, the team is screaming for you. That’s one of the things we’re known for. We’re really loud. It doesn’t matter what the score is. We’re just going to bring it and be crazy loud.”
Epley calls Davies “very coachable,” and Davies said she has no problem listening to her coaches and older teammates as well as she has seen her game improve since she arrived on campus.
“I feel like I know my strengths more, and when I step on to the court, I know what I want to do,” Davies said. “I know what I need to do. I see my opponent, and I have a set plan. I stick to it, and it’s been working.
“My teammates have helped me so much. They’ve helped me off the court as well in getting me to classes and showing me where they are. They’ve all been freshmen before so they know what it feels like. On the court, we have high standards. We’re a competitive team, but we don’t take anything personally. We have so much fun on the court in practice. We all want to win. Whatever happens on the court, stays on the court.”
