William Woods University Receives $13,000 USTA Facility Grant

“The courts are not in great shape, especially for a top-five college team in the country no matter the division,” Joost said. “They need some TLC. We’ve patched them probably every year. We look like we’ve got some camouflage out there. There are some dead spots and cracks. They certainly could be a lot worse. But we definitely need to resurface them, and they need some love. Teams are starting to not want to come play here.”

Joost first learned about USTA grants while attending an ITA Coaches Convention in 2019. He did some further research and discussed the possibility of applying for one with his Athletics Director at the time. WWU since hired a new AD, Steve Wilson, and president, Jeremy Moreland, who wrapped up the application process alongside Joost. The crew was notified their application was selected by USTA on May 1.

“It was kind of like a weight is off my shoulders,” Joost said. “I knew that was a big part to us being able to resurface our courts. And trying to not only service our student-athletes at William Woods, but to service the community. We do have the nicest courts in Fulton. It’s nice to know the community is going to be able to have courts that are playable whenever they want.”

The Suzanne Neal Memorial Tennis Complex courts are free for the public to utilize. Joost is hopeful the facility’s facelift will enable Fulton to host more tournaments and competitions while further growing the game in the area. Joost anticipates the facility’s renovations — which include 36-foot and 60-foot blended playing lines to better serve junior competitors — will be completed between July 1 and September 1.

The William Woods Owls will feature a roster of 24 men’s players and 17 women’s players this fall. The program is adding a JV men’s tennis team this year to better provide opportunities for American-born players. Joost noted his squads currently boast student-athletes from 14 different countries.

The WWU men’s team went 20-5 last season while the women went 9-14. On the men’s side, Joost was named the 2023 Wilson ITA Head Coach of the Year. Joost said down the line, his hope is the Suzanne Neal Memorial Tennis Complex will expand to include eight courts.