By Jim Fenton
BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- They were together on the Plymouth North High School boys tennis team for two seasons.
The days of being teammates ended, though, when Tom Ayson (Plymouth, Mass.) graduated in 2021 with Robby Cooney (Plymouth, Mass.) following a year later.
Ayson wound up attending Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Conn., during the 2021-22 academic year and Cooney went to Syracuse University in 2022-23 with neither one competing in tennis at their respective schools.
Given the paths Ayson and Cooney took after leaving Plymouth North, it seemed highly unlikely that they would one day reunite on the tennis courts.
But Ayson enrolled at Bridgewater State University last fall and Cooney transferred to BSU for the spring semester this year.
Ayson was the first to join the Bears' men's tennis team for the 2024 season, and when he learned that Cooney was at the same school, he set things in motion to help Cooney become part of the squad as well.
"I never thought we'd be on the same team together ever," said Ayson, who along with Cooney is a sophomore. "It's really, really nice.
"It's so much fun to play tennis with him again. He knows my game better than anyone. He really helps me with what I need to work on."
Said Cooney: "It's pretty funny how it worked out, how we're both playing here. We were texting (earlier in the semester) and he mentioned that he joined the team. He actually didn't know I was at Bridgewater at the time. When he found out, he told the coach (David Purpura) about me."
Cooney has stepped into the No. 1 singles slot and is also playing on the No. 2 doubles team, posting 1-1 records at each flight, while Ayson is 3-1 at No. 3 singles and 2-2 on the No. 1 doubles team.
The two were teammates at Plymouth North in 2019 and 2021 with the COVID pandemic wiping out the 2020 season. Cooney was the No. 1 singles player for the Eagles while Ayson was No. 3.
When Cooney was a freshman and Ayson was a sophomore in 2019, they each had an older brother on the team -- Patrick Cooney and Harry Ayson.
"It was a big family affair on the high school team," said Tom Ayson. "When I was a sophomore, Robby was No. 1 singles, his brother was No. 2 and my brother was No. 3 and I was playing No. 1 doubles (on a 15-3 team). Then my senior year, Robby was No. 1 singles and I was No. 2 singles."
Said Cooney: "It's been a lot of fun. We initially met because both of our older brothers were good friends in high school and played tennis. It'd always be the four of us playing. It's been really nice to have that person as a hitting partner."
Ayson stands 6-foot-9 while Cooney is listed as 5-foot-5. Ayson is one of the tallest tennis players around and gets the usual questions.
"I think the first question is always, 'How tall are you?'" he said. "Then it's, "Do you play basketball?' and I'm like, 'Look what I have in my hand. It's a racket.' That's what usually happens."
When Ayson was attending Quinnipiac and then Northwest Arkansas Community College last academic year, he did not play competitive tennis.
Ayson turned to club volleyball at Quinnipiac and played pickleball to stay active.
He is happy to be back on the tennis courts with the Bears this spring.
"For sure, I missed it so much," said Ayson. "I love hitting the ball. I missed the team camaraderie of a tennis team. I wanted to relive the high school days, and so far, it's working out pretty well."
Ayson's parents were tennis captains of their high school teams, his father playing in New Zealand and his mother in Connecticut. Ayson lived in England before moving to Plymouth and played soccer and cricket there.
Now, he towers over opponents while playing tennis at BSU.
"There were things in my game that I've never been as good at as I am now," said Ayson. "The last time I played, I think I was 6-2, 6-3 and now I'm 6-9. My serve is a thousand times better with my height.
"It's a completely different game. I used to be a baseline player, now I'm totally serve and volley. I had to really change my game this year.
"(The height) is a big advantage if you use it right. If you have a good serve and you come to the net a lot and use your length, it can be really helpful. But if you're just a baseline player and try to outrun your opponent, you're not going to do so well. It's how you use it."
Cooney has stayed active in tennis by giving lessons at the Eel River Beach Club in Plymouth and plans to do the same on Martha's Vineyard this summer.
After playing so much tennis through the years, Cooney is glad to be back on a team and is looking to help the Bears in their quest for a Little East Conference championship.
"The biggest thing that's been missing is the competition and being part of a team," said Cooney. "I hit every once in a while, but definitely not as much as I did back in high school.
"It's really great being here. It's been nice to actually be playing. You don't fully know how much you miss it until you're in the middle of it. I'm a very competitive person and I haven't been able to compete much in anything lately, so it was nice to have that feeling back."
After not playing on a team since the 2022 Plymouth North season, Cooney said he's getting used to being on the court again.
Cooney won in singles (6-0, 6-2) and doubles (8-0) last week against Thomas College in his collegiate debut to earn Little East Rookie of the Week honors.
"Being back on the court at first, it took a second to settle in," said Cooney. "Once you get going, it all rushes back, which is nice.
"I'm in a cool spot because I didn't even expect to be playing. I'm hoping I can use that feeling of playing with house money to my advantage. My goals are team oriented. The team has a lot of potential and the team talks that way. We like the role we're in. I'm pretty excited to see what we're able to accomplish."
Just like the 2019 and 2021 seasons at Plymouth North, Tom Ayson and Robby Cooney are together in the lineup, this time for BSU.
"Me and Robby met in seventh grade and we have probably played up to like 500 sets," said Ayson. "That's not an exaggeration. We used to play every single day after high school, always trying to get better. I wouldn't be half as good a player without Robby."