ANNVILLE, Pa. – Junior Jesse Beck '27, D'29, returned to the court for the Lebanon Valley College men's tennis team this fall, after a year serving with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard in Africa.

As a Pennsylvania Army National Guard member, Beck must balance military obligations with his academic and athletic responsibilities at Lebanon Valley. Typically, he is required to attend training one weekend per month, which causes him to miss Friday classes and the opportunity to study on that weekend.

"When this weekend approaches, I talk to my professors and let them know. They are always understanding," Beck said. "I make sure I can get ahead for that week and spend a little more time doing my work, so I don't need to rush on Sunday night when I get back to campus."

A two-time All-Middle Atlantic Conference honoree, Beck earned the 2023 Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Commonwealth Rookie of the Year award after helping lead Lebanon Valley to a MAC Commonwealth title. Beck clinched the win for LVC with a singles victory, which he called the highlight of his career thus far. This win also punched the program's ticket to the NCAA Tournament.

In his return to the Flying Dutchmen this fall, Beck competed in seven matches, delivering four doubles wins and a pair of singles wins. He said it took him some time to readjust to playing tennis, but he was happy to be back with the team.

"There were a lot of cobwebs to dust off in the beginning, but by the end of our fall season, I had started to feel mostly like my normal self," Beck said. "While on deployment, I did have the opportunity to strengthen my body in different ways that have helped me on the court since being back."

Beck expressed that he has enjoyed competing for LVC's men's tennis team while attending Lebanon Valley.

"I am an extremely competitive person and love to play tennis," Beck said. "LVC has allowed me to continue doing this. I also love the team and coaching staff. They are a great group of people who have made playing tennis for LVC way better than I ever expected."

In addition to his athletic honors, Beck earned spots on the MAC Academic Honor Roll and Academic All-MAC Team in each of his first two seasons. The Physical Therapy major was also named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team as a sophomore.

As Beck works toward completing his degree, he will also continue to help the Dutchmen pursue another conference title.

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