By conventional wisdom, the Chapman men’s tennis team wasn’t really supposed to have won any of its matches thus far this season. 

Chapman is affiliated with the NCAA’s Division III. Its opponents through the first two games of the season, Biola University and Azusa Pacific University, are both Division II schools. The Panthers have been outmatched.

But that didn’t stop Jacob Lee, a senior business administration major on the team, from taking both of his single matches on March 12 and March 17 against Biola and Azusa Pacific opponents. 

“I wasn’t favored to win, so I knew that they had more pressure on them to perform,” Lee said. “I went out just swinging and had no pressure on myself, so I was actually playing well for my average level. I was able to (put) up those two wins and they're pretty close matches, so I’m really happy with my performance.” 

Lee hasn’t always been the underdog, but he knows how to play up to tough competition. He first developed a love for tennis at 9 years old after he joined Match Point Tennis Academy in Santa Ana. At Valencia High School in Placentia, he played for the varsity team, but said his experience continuing to play with Match Point ultimately proved most beneficial. 

“A lot of high school sports, especially tennis, in my experience are pretty low-quality, just because it's an alternative to the physical education program,” Lee said. “The Academy is a completely different thing because these people were even getting home-schooled just to have a shot to either go play professionally or to get recruited to one program.”

By his junior year, Lee began looking at colleges, ultimately picking Chapman because of its balance between academics, college life and athletics.

He’s happy with the decision; he’s been able to balance training for tennis with membership in Chapman’s Phi Delta Theta fraternity and trips with friends. 

“I decided I wanted to play at a smaller (Division III) school so I can kind of take school more seriously,” he said. “I thought playing at a (Division I) school would be way too rigorous … At the end of my four years, I’m able to look back and (see) I was able to do other stuff.”

Regardless of the level, Lee is glad he’s been able to continue playing tennis at the collegiate level. 

“It really becomes a job; it's almost like your life,” Lee said. “I built certain aspects about my character that was like if I stopped playing tennis completely, then I would need to fill that spot — like the desire to compete or improve at something.” 

Over the past four seasons, Will Marino, the head coach of Chapman men’s tennis, has seen Lee bring that grit and fearlessness in not backing down to competition day in and day out. 

“(I admire) his dedication,” Marino said “He’s always coming to practice, he enjoys playing tennis and he enjoys competing. I’ve witnessed him playing in tournaments at about 10 to 12 years old, so I’ve seen him play a long time.” 

Ultimately, Lee is motivated to finish out a strong final season facing tough competition and eyeing the possibility of competing for a national title at the Division III Men’s Tennis National Championship in mid-May.

“I'm looking forward to having a much greater chance of winning our conference,” Lee said. “If we win the conference, then we get seeded into a national tournament, which I've never played in. That’d be cool for my senior year.”