FSU adds veterans to men’s, women’s tennis teams
Texas A&M University and UK photos
Seminoles.com
The Florida State men’s and women’s tennis teams will have two players with plenty of experience in their lineups with the addition of transfers Barnaby Smith and Lesedi Jacobs.
Smith, who spent the previous four seasons at Texas A&M University, is product of High Wycombe, Great Britain where he played on the prep level. He has been as ranked as high as No. 50 as a singles player during his career and was ranked No. 1 in the nation in the 2019 ITA preseason doubles rankings with teammate Carlos Aguilar.
“We are thrilled to have Barney added to the team for next year,” said FSU head coach Dwayne Hultquist. “He is a very experienced SEC player who has won a lot of big matches and has been one of the top double players in the country. We are also excited for the leadership that he will bring to a very young team next year.”
In 2020, Smith posted an 8-8 singles record, with a 5-3 mark in dual match play, and a 3-1 SEC singles record. He played all but two of his matches at the No. 5 line, going 4-2 in the position, posting a season-high ranking of No. 72 in the ITA singles poll. In doubles, he went 12-5 in doubles with a 6-2 mark in dual matches. He was ranked No. 1 in the nation in the 2019 preseason poll in doubles.
As a sophomore in 2019, Barnaby led the team in wins with a singles record of 27-8. He went 20-5 in dual match play, including an 8-4 mark in SEC action and won nine straight matches during one stretch.
On the women’s side, Jacobs spent the previous four seasons at the University of Kentucky. As a sophomore and junior, Gibbons posts a 20-12 record in dual meets in singles and an 8-6 record in SEC play.
“We are so excited to add a player like Sedi to Noles women’s tennis family,” said FSU head coach Jen Hyde. “She has such great experience competing at the highest levels, and she will have an immediate impact in all facets of our program. Sedi is a great fit for what we want to accomplish in the upcoming 2021 season, as we continue to compete in the nation’s deepest and best conference.
“Not only is she a seasoned competitor, but she is also a stellar student, which exactly aligns with the culture of our women’s tennis program. We can’t wait to get Lesedi to campus and get to work.”
The native of Windhoek, Namibia spent her junior season playing on line two in singles before moving up to the No. 1 line when the Wildcats moved into SEC play. Jacobs posted a 3-0 record on court one in conference play and an 8-3 record in dual matches during singles play on the top two lines. In doubles, Jacobs posted an 11-1 record in dual matches and a perfect 4-0 mark in SEC play. Overall, she was 14-7 in singles action and 21-2 in doubles.
Off the court, Jacobs has made an impact in the classroom and in the community. She is a three-time member of the SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll and was named to the SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll in 2017. She was also named a 2018-19 ITA Scholar-Athlete. In 2020, Jacobs was named to the SEC Community Service Team and a Frank G. Ham Society of Character selection.
