For any athlete or sports fan, past or present, there are always two major debates that take place. First, an all-time list of who could beat who on a field of play and how players from different generations would match up against the current generation. Second, there is a "wish list" of athletes that you could either play alongside or have a pick-up game with to fulfill a lifelong fantasy.

Now consider the rare opportunity if you actually had the chance to play alongside one of the legends in a sport like Michael Jordan, Jack Nicklaus, Emmitt Smith, Wayne Gretzky or Venus Williams.

Salem Tennis Coach, Ed Steele was actually given that opportunity in his professional tennis career. Steele played alongside a legend and giant in the sport—Arthur Ashe. For those unfamiliar with the career of Ashe, he won 47 career titles in the open era, earned 996 career wins, including 681 wins in singles play and 315 in doubles action. Additionally, he was a member of 10 U.S. Davis Cup Teams over the course of his career, posting a 28-6 all-time record, and served as the captain from 1981-86.

Ashe's career on the court was a microcosm of his life—he persevered. Ashe, a native of Richmond, Va., broke the color barriers in a segregated South and burst onto the tennis scene in 1968 where he captured the US Open the first time that amateurs were allowed to compete against professionals. By 1975, Ashe had slammed the racial barriers and captured the Australian Open and Wimbledon while helping the United States win four Davis Cup titles.

Four years later, the former World No. 1 player suffered a heart attack that required bypass surgery and resulted in his retirement. By 1983, Ashe had a second heart attack and bypass surgery and believed that he contracted the AIDS virus through blood transfusions. Ashe lost his battle on February 6, 1993, but his memory lives on through the ESPN Arthur Ashe Courage Award that is handed out annually to someone in the world of sports that displays courage during adverse times.

More About Arthur Ashe

Steele played alongside Ashe as part of an exhibition match in the early 1980s, after Ashe suffered his first heart attack. The exhibition took place because both were working for AMF Head Rackets in Coral Gables, Fla. "I was impressed how he could clip a backhand with topspin without slowing down his run," said Steele.

Steele also saw Bjorn Borg, who won 11 grand slam titles at the French Open (five) and Wimbledon (six), compete in at a tennis club South Florida. There were six tennis clubs involved and the top teams hosted exhibition matches with top players and top former players, featuring doubles and singles play. Steele saw Bjorg play against Hugh Curry in doubles action and recalls "when he went for a ball, he could run like a cat. He could get to the ball before it bounced twice three feet from the net."

BIRTH OF SALEM TENNIS

Salem tennis was one of the original programs established in the Department of Athletics when it made the transition to the NCAA Division III ranks in 2008. The Spirits were led in that inaugural season by head coach Mariana Hollman, who guided the program to victories in its first two matches. Salem faced N.C. Wesleyan in its first match, triumphing 7-1 over the Battling Bishops on February 13th, before earning an 8-0 win against Ferrum exactly one week later.

That would mark the only two team wins of the 2009 season for Hollman, who returned in 2010. After suffering a 6-3 setback in the opening match of the 2010 campaign, Salem had its first three-match winning streak by defeating William Peace (8-1), Greensboro (6-3) and Wesleyan (Ga.) (9-0).

Hollman's most successful season at Salem came in 2011, where she led the Spirits to a 7-7 mark and captured three victories at home in the process. The Spirits opened with a 6-3 win over Greensboro on February 16th and rebounded from a setback against Guilford by rattling off five straight wins between February 23rd and March 17th.

The record streak began on February 23, 2011, with a decisive 8-1 victory over William Peace. Three days later, in a home clash with Ferrum, the Spirits won by a 5-1 score. Emory & Henry paid a visit to Winston-Salem on February 26th and the Wasps were handed a 5-4 defeat, stretching the streak to three matches. The Spirits completed a home-and-home series with William Peace with an 8-1 victory on March 7, 2011, before posting a fifth straight team win at Ferrum (6-3) on St. Patrick's Day. The final victory of the season came by a 9-0 margin against Wesleyan in Macon, Ga., on April 16th.

DRYMAN ERA BEGINS AT SALEM

Mike Dryman assumed the reigns of the Salem Tennis program before the start of the 2011-12 school year, taking over a team with nine returnees from the 2011 campaign. Dryman led Salem to four wins over the course of his first season, claiming three of those victories in Great South Athletic Conference play. The first win of his Salem coaching career came in 8-1 fashion over William Peace on February 15th. He added three more wins that season, which came against LaGrange (6-3), Spelman (5-4) and Wesleyan (Ga.) (8-1).

Dryman returned the following season and the Spirits captured one win, versus Wesleyan (Ga.) by a 5-4 margin, on April 13th when the two teams clashed in Columbia, S.C.

Among the top players on the 2011-12 Salem tennis squad was Angela Reavis. Reavis, who competed at Salem from 2011 to 2014, is one of five Spirits with at least 20 wins in doubles play. She claimed 21 doubles wins during her collegiate career, which places her in a three-way tie for third-most all-time at Salem alongside Andrea Akers and DeAnna Wilkins.

A double major in both Art History and Religion, Reavis capitalized on 16 wins in No. 2 doubles, which is the second-most wins behind only Ashley Koehler. She also claimed five wins as a No. 1 seeded doubles player for the Spirits and 14 total in singles action, including 11 as a No. 3 seeded singles player.

Reavis and Koehler are the only players in program history, entering the 2022 spring slate, to earn double-digit wins in No. 2 doubles. They grabbed 12 by virtue of playing alongside each other, which tops all Flight 2 tandems in program history.

Reavis reflected on her most memorable moments with Salem Tennis by saying that it was "qualifying for the conference tournament for the first time in the tennis program's history during my sophomore year. Then in my senior year, being regular season conference champions."

Reavis' time at Salem left a major impact on her post-tennis life. "I currently serve as the Cultural Arts Coordinator for a city in Virginia, a position in which my time at Salem directly impacts," said Reavis. "My studies at Salem also helped me go on to study for my masters and other professional certifications," added Reavis. "I was fortunate to serve as the team captain for a number of years. The leadership I worked on and developed as captain has helped me transition to teambuilding with my employees."

One of the instrumental figures that Dryman added to the program during his second season at the helm was Akers. Akers played at Salem from 2013 until 2016, earning a Bachelor of Science in biology while minoring in both chemistry and environmental studies. She is the only player in program history to earn multiple All-Conference accolades, being named to the Great South Athletic Conference All-Conference unit in 2014 and 2016. She and Koehler were named Great South Athletic Conference All-Conference team doubles in 2014 as well.

Akers recounted her memory at Salem by saying "There are plenty of experiences we shared, but I think a lot of bonding happened on the long bus rides. We always had fun no matter how long the trip. I feel like I could still pick up the phone and talk to any of them like we haven't missed a beat."

"We went to Jekyll Island for a fall scrimmage against Coastal Georgia, I think," reflects Akers. "This was also really my only match under Mike Dryman. We did early morning workouts and practices. He conducted team building exercises on the beach. Dryman united us and had a way of making us a team, even though we didn't all get along at that time. The Jekyll Island trip was so fun because everyone wanted to better themselves and have fun."

Reavis echoed a similar response when she reflected back on her time with Salem tennis, saying. "Sometimes being a student-athlete can be tiring or hectic with your busy school schedule, but it will help develop strong friendships. It is also a neat way to visit other colleges and universities and travel outside of Salem. I think each year we really bonded with the travel and natural competition."

On the court, she earned 20 wins and placed herself alongside Makenna Mason (27), Wilkins (24) and Koehler (20), as one of four players in program history with 20 singles victories. Furthermore, she owns the distinction of being one of three Spirits with both 20 singles and 20 doubles wins. That elite group includes Koehler (29), Mason (22) and Akers (21).

Akers won all 20 of her matches at the No. 1 seed for the Spirits and continues to rank first in program history in triumphs by a Flight 1 player. She has two more than Mason, who is the only other player with double-digit wins (18) as a No. 1 seed.

Akers grabbed 20 of her 21 doubles wins as a No. 1, also a program record, and is one of only two players with double figure wins (Mason, 13) as a No. 1 doubles player. Nine of Akers' doubles wins came alongside Ayla Pruitt, which is the top No. 1 doubles pairing in Salem history, while the tandem of Akers and Kerri Morgan claimed six wins, tying them for fourth-most.

"I honestly couldn't even tell you the records that I set or broke," Akers said. "However, I hope to see the program continue to improve so I would expect them to be broken. I am glad I gave them something to shoot for and wish everyone the best.

"Beating Agnes Scott was probably the match I'm proudest of winning," Akers added. They were one of the better schools we played and always difficult opponents. I had the mentality that I was going to piss you off first, then win. I knew if I got in my opponents' head that winning would come much easier."

SALEM CLAIMS 12 WINS IN 2014

A change in the coaching ranks prior to the start of the 2014 season, which resulted in Kevin Fleck being named coach at Salem, resulted in the Spirits most successful team record (12-5) in program history. Fleck set the standard for most home wins in a single-season (six) and single-season conference wins (four), while tying the mark for road wins (four) during the 2014 slate.

Fleck earned the first win of his collegiate coaching career over Sweet Briar, downing the Vixens 5-4 on March 8th, before leading the Spirits past William Peace (March 15) and Greensboro (March 20) by 7-2 margins, respectively. March ended on a high note for Fleck's Spirits, who downed Wesleyan (Ga.) by a 9-0 margin and followed that by earning a 5-4 win against Agnes Scott.

William Peace claimed a 5-4 win over Salem in the first match of April, but the team responded by putting together a program-record seven-match winning streak which spanned from April 5th to April 26th. That streak topped the previous record, five, which came in the 2011 campaign. Salem earned a decisive 7-2 win over Guilford to start the streak and quickly added victories against Averett (9-0) and Agnes Scott (5-4) to move the mark to three straight.

A pair of 9-0 triumphs over Wesleyan (Ga.) on April 13th equaled the program record of five, before a 5-1 win against Trinity (D.C.) at the Great South Tournament established a new mark. Salem extended its streak to seven with a 5-1 win over Agnes Scott in the Great South Tournament Semifinals. The streak came to a halt in the championship clash with UC-Santa Cruz, who posted a 5-0 win on April 27th. As a result, Fleck was named 2014 Great South Conference Coach of the Year.

Fleck moved his collegiate coaching record to 20 wins in 2015 as he led Salem to an 8-8 overall record and 2-2 mark in Great South Conference action. That season the Spirits managed two three-match winning streaks, the first of which came on April 9th through April 11th with wins over Greensboro, William Peace and Wesleyan (Ga.). Fleck's unit began a second streak prior to the start of the Great South Tournament, defeating Wesleyan (Ga.) and Virginia Wesleyan by scores of 9-0 and 7-2, respectively. The Spirits carried that momentum into an opening round clash with Mills, who they defeated 5-0, before falling 5-1 against Agnes Scott to complete the season.

Akers, a sophomore at Salem, was complemented on the court by Koehler in 2014. Koehler went on to become the program's all-time leader in doubles victories and established the benchmark in No. 2 singles wins along the way. She also posted seven wins as a No. 1 in her collegiate career.

"My main thought before hitting the court was always to leave everything I had out there," described Koehler. "Every single game, every single change over, every single point was an opportunity to come back and try even harder. To correct any mistakes that I made. School, work or personal worries were left to the side. I was free to just be an athlete and to be the best version of myself, competing. I was always told tennis is 90 percent mental. Being able to leave all my worries to the side and to be able to hit refresh after every single point helped me rally and keep going."

Koehler closed out her Salem career with a program-record 29 doubles wins, earning 22 as the No. 2 seeded doubles pairing. She also earned 20 singles victories, one of four players with that distinction in program history.

Koehler teamed with Reavis to claim 12 of those No. 2 doubles victories, a program mark entering the 2022 season. She also posted six wins in No. 2 doubles, which rank as third-most in program history, alongside Allie Watkins. Koehler and Reavis, who ended her Salem career with 16 wins in No. 2 seeded doubles, are the only players in program history with double figure wins in Flight 2 doubles.

"My fondest tennis memories were always travel trips," said Koehler of her Salem experience. "I loved traveling with my teammates. It was a time to talk, listen to music and just have fun. My fondest memories were also anytime we played Agnes Scott. They were always our fiercest competitors and had the closest matches. The energy before, during and after those matches is indescribable. We all knew we had to give it 110 percent for each of those matches.

"I would say my degree has come secondary to the lessons I learned from Salem," continued Koehler. "Being able to be assertive in the workplace, understanding how to advocate, and knowing who I am have been instrumental in my success. Learning how to do research, growing my professional writing and trusting my skills have been some of the greatest lessons I have received. They have helped me in every work environment, while I was obtaining my master's degree and in everyday life. My Salem degree is also always a conversation starter in interviews. It is not as well-known as the bigger schools and is always a way to get talking about my educational experience. Without Salem I would not be where I am today."

STEELE BECOMES FOURTH COACH IN SALEM TENNIS HISTORY

Steele became the program's fourth coach in the 2015-16 season, capturing six wins along the way. The first win (9-0) came at William Peace (Feb. 27) and was followed by victories against Lees-McRae (9-0) and Mary Baldwin (5-4) in early March. Steele and the Spirits capitalized on three wins in April, including a series of 7-2 and 8-1 wins over Wesleyan (Ga.) in the regular season and a 5-0 win against the Wolves in the opening round of the Great South Athletic Conference Tournament.

Steele replicated his six-win season in 2016 with a pair of two-match win streaks that came against Greensboro and William Peace in succession as well as Greensboro and Mary Baldwin. The remaining two victories came over Guilford (March 24) and Wesleyan (Ga.) (April 8).

In 2017-18, Salem joined the USA South Conference and the tennis program picked up seven wins under Steele's tutelage. After posting a 9-0 win over intercity rival Guilford (Feb. 18), Salem put together a three-match winning streak that included two victories over Wesleyan (Ga.) and a 9-0 shutout of Mary Baldwin. The Spirits added wins over Ferrum and William Peace, both USA South rivals, before claiming an 8-1 at Greensboro on April 6th.

The second year in the USA South, 2018-19, began with a 9-0 victory over non-conference foe Hollins on September 29th. When spring season began in March, the Spirits posted an 8-1 win at Guilford (March 16) before coming through with a 7-2 win at Hollins the following afternoon. Salem claimed its fourth win of the season against Mary Baldwin on the next to last day of March, before picking up a decisive 8-1 at William Peace on April 10th.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic causing the program to take a year off, Salem posted victories over Ferrum (Sept. 28), Hollins (Oct. 5) and Guilford (Oct. 6) in the fall slate.

SALEM TENNIS RETURNS TO ACTION IN 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the Salem tennis team to miss 868 days between October 12, 2019, when the Spirits faced both Davis & Elkins as well as King in a fall tournament, and February 26, 2022, when they returned to the court to face Hollins.

The 2022 roster has four upperclassmen, including seniors Mariana Rubio and Tiera Thomas along with juniors Alyssa Cosentino and Alexus Little. Haley Gilley represents the only member of the sophomore class, while the trio of Alyson Gammons, Zakeria Pomeroy and McKinley Rice are first-year members of the team.

Rubio, who was a cross country runner at Salem before joining the tennis program, and Thomas are both newcomers to the team this season. The same is true for Little, who attended nearby Mount Tabor High School.

Gilley has four wins to her credit during her Salem career, winning two as a No. 2 doubles and two in singles play. Cosentino has posted six doubles wins over the course of her collegiate tennis career, all in No. 3 doubles.

Steele, an avid recruiter for his team and the sport of tennis, is constantly passing along his first-hand knowledge of the sport to anyone on the court. He is also teaching the next wave of Salem players ways to improve their game to improve the program for the future all while keeping alive the aforementioned playing styles of Ashe and Bjorg.

ADDITIONAL INTERVIEW EXCERPTS

Name (including maiden name): Andrea Groce (Akers)
Sport(s) played: Tennis
Year of Graduation: 2016
Degree(s) Earned: Bachelor of Science in biology, minors in chemistry and environmental studies

What is your fondest sports moment during your career at Salem College? Traveling to Jekyll island for a fall tournament.

Who was the teammate or coach that inspired you the most while playing at Salem? Mike Dryman hands down.

What advice would you give to student-athletes interested in playing at Salem? Interested student-athletes should know that time management is a must. It's easy to do sports and college, but you have to manage your time appropriately.

What advice did you receive while playing at Salem that you apply to the course of your everyday life? "It's not going to be easy. You're going to have to fight like hell, but you can win." Everyday has its challenges no matter what you're doing. If you give it your all you'll win or at least come out better.

Name (including maiden name): Angela Reavis
Sport(s) played: Tennis
Year of Graduation: 2014
Degree(s) Earned: Bachelor of Arts in both art history and religion

Who was the teammate or coach that inspired you the most while playing at Salem? Coach Mike Dryman

What advice would you give to student-athletes interested in playing at Salem? Do it! Sometimes it can be tiring or hectic with your busy school schedule, but it will help develop strong friendships. It is also a neat way to visit other colleges and universities and travel outside of Salem.

You have established multiple records for the Salem tennis program. How do you feel about being the "hunted" when it comes to people wanting to break your records, instead of the "hunter" and looking to set the records? I wouldn't consider myself or my records as being "hunted." Many of my records were academic related (Scholar Athlete of the Year, etc).

What is the record that you hold most dear and why? It's less a record, and more the growth of the team during the four years I played. From my first year to my senior, the team went from never qualifying for the conference tournament in my first year, to being regular season champions and coming runner up at the conference tournament (losing to UC Santa Cruz who were invited to just play the tournament, even though they were not in our conference). This growth was so fun to be a part of and really resulted in a strong team and some great teammates.

Your success on the field is well documented. Describe your mentality when you took the field to play a sport that you were obviously so successful at? Tennis is a very mental sport, which is sometimes hard to keep up all of the time. I'd say my main mentality was "Have fun, don't take too long to study your opponent, and have fun."

Name (including maiden name): Ashley Koehler
Sport(s) played: Tennis
Year of Graduation: 2017
Degree(s) Earned: Bachelors of Arts in sociology, minor in psychology and coaching
University of Arizona - Masters of Arts in clinical mental health counseling and rehabilitation counseling – 2019

What team concept(s) have you applied in your business and personal life that have proven beneficial after competing at Salem? Your team is only as good as its worst player. The word "worst" can be replaced with things like "least supported", "least equitable" etc. Every single person on your team has to be encouraged, given the resources they need to succeed, and they all need their voices heard. Professionally, this looks like helping to elevate the voices of minorities in every single room. It means each employee or co-worker is able to express their best communication style and learning style so they can be as successful as possible. Personally, it means being a good teammate to your partner. Picking them up when they are down, encouraging them, helping them carry the load.

What advice would you give to student-athletes interested in playing at Salem? Go for it! Playing for Salem made some of my favorite college memories. There is nothing like the comradery that comes from sports. It will help keep you accountable with your fitness and will help you make friends!

What advice did you receive while playing at Salem that you apply to the course of your everyday life? The best advice I received while playing was that its 90% mental. The best player can have the worst match because mentally they were beating themselves. Half the time you're playing against your own mind. If you let doubt creep in you are more likely to give up. I use this in my professional and continued athletic endeavors. By reminding myself that anxieties I face, any imposter syndrome I feel, or work worries I have are mental I am able to face them head on and break them down. It helps keep me accountable and motivated to keep doing better while overcoming my mental struggles.

You have established multiple records for the Salem tennis program. How do you feel about being the "hunted" when it comes to people wanting to break your records, instead of the "hunter" and looking to set the records? It makes me proud that I have left a legacy that people strive to reach. It also makes me incredibly proud that there continue to be women athletes who are giving tennis their all, that are working to be the best version of themselves, and that want to be record breakers themselves. It also makes me want to get back out there and compete!

What is the record that you hold most dear and why? I'm honestly not sure which records I hold. But two accolades that mean the most to me were my sportsmanship award and being the Team Captain. The sportsmanship award was very meaningful because another coach nominated me. It showed that even though we were out there to compete and win, you can still make a lasting positive impression. Being Captain was a responsibility I held very dear. It showed that not only my coach, but my teammates trusted me to encourage, lift and push them. It showed I was trusted to be a motivator, to plan for the team, and to push them to be their best. It also showed the trust the players had for me to advocate for them to the coach if any issues came up.