We sat down with Beck Bond, standout D1 tennis player at NC State. Beck has over 60 career NCAA singles victories including a stellar 12-1 singles record in ACC dual matches his senior season. Beck was named to the All ACC team and is also only one of three players in NC State history to appear in four consecutive NCAA tournaments.

2aDays: Beck, thanks for sitting down with us. First off, congrats on the All-ACC Team election this year and another NC State NCAA tournament berth. What was that experience like?

Beck: It was surreal. First and foremost I am thankful that I was able to play on a team such as N.C. State and in arguably the best tennis conference. The experience of playing in the NCAA for all four years was amazing and I wouldn't have traded it for the world. Being a member of the All-ACC team my senior year was just the icing on the cake.

2aDays: What advice can you tell our reader's about the junior tournament and high school experience?

Beck: I'd say that while we all got caught up in, who was playing who and whether or not you were seeded or playing a seed, just go out there and have fun. You are there to get better and gain experience. You are also extremely lucky to be playing a game that you love.

2aDays: Besides having one of the coolest names in sports, what drew you to tennis rather than other sports?

Beck: Well both of my parents actually played tennis and that is actually how they met, at a JCC playing tennis. But I grew up playing team sports; soccer baseball football etc. and I really liked the individuality that tennis allowed. While you had no one to blame other then yourself when you lost, you had all the glory after a big win.

2aDays: What was the allure to NC State as compared to other schools?

Beck: I'd say playing at an elite school, in an elite conference, was a main factor. I also liked the idea of being in the south and experiencing something different from New England. Also our new tennis stadium was one of the nicest tennis arenas in the country.

2aDays: What's one of your best memories with your teammates?

Beck: I'd say every win was a good memory but my sophomore year we beat Carolina (UNC chapel hill) at their place 5-2. We had to win 4 out of 5, three set matches to capture this win.

2aDays: While an athlete might despise another school, there is a strange respect and camaraderie among competitors after facing each other. Competitions may never get as heated as our battles, but did you ever become buddies with NC State enemies?

Beck: There were a multitude of different schools that we didn't like just about every school in the ACC really. While we respected them we certainly were not friends on or off the court. With this being said NC State was decent friends with Va Tech, Duke, Wake, and Boston College.

2aDays: What was the hardest part of the decision making process for where you would take your talents?

Beck: Probably leaving all my friends and family up North and going to a place like the south that had a completely different style of living and culture.

2aDays: Would you have used 2aDays as a resource to help you with those decisions?

Beck: I would have definitely used a website like Locker Room Talk. It would have been extremely helpful in my decision on what school I would've gone to.

* Originally published on October 11, 2015, by Keirsten Sires