Emmett Epkey, a North Christian School third grader, returns a serve during a tennis competition earlier this year. Epkey is headed to the “Little Mo” Nationals this weekend in Austin, Texas. (Photo Provided)

VIENNA — North Christian School third grader Emmett Epkey will have his tennis acumen tested to the fullest starting Saturday at the Austin Tennis Academy in Texas during the “Little Mo” Nationals.

The youth tennis tournament, which is organized by the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation, is the lone national-level event in the country for boys and girls ages 8, 9, 10 and 11 with some divisions extending to age 12.

Epkey, who finished all of his school work before flying to the Lone Star State, qualified at the regional earlier this year in Texas.

The top four players in each age group from the four regionals converge at nationals in a 16-player draw.

Everyone is guaranteed at least two matches and it’s a best-of-three sets format with each game going to six and a winner-take-all 10-point tiebreak if necessary.

Epkey said his favorite subjects in school were “math, science, social studies” and when asked about siblings he replied he had “a younger brother and younger sister.”

Although they also train at the Parkersburg Country Club with Epkey Tennis, a program designed to combine tennis excellence with life-skills development, the 8-year-old replied “no” when asked if either of his siblings could beat him. When asked if he was nervous or excited about competing at the event Epkey admitted “a little bit of both.

“Yeah, I’ll try to win it. This is my first year playing Little Mo. It starts at the age of 8.”

Parents Jarrod and Kathryn are also anxious to see how things play out during the next few days.

“The whole background of Epkey Tennis is the older kids we coach in middle school and high school are expected to give back and coach our 10-and-under program,” admitted his father.

“It’s about the community. Our kids also learn that it’s important to develop yourself and it takes a lot of time, but it’s always just as valuable to help others, too.”

Jarrod added of Epkey Tennis “at the core of it we really are a faith-based program for our family. We model our Christian beliefs for our family.

“We try to model that to the kids that come into it and the families that are surrounded by it, and we are so thankful that we can actually be a part of something I think is special.”

When he’s not on the tennis courts, Epkey said he enjoys golf and also likes to play basketball along with “going swimming and hanging out with friends.”

Epkey, who said he carries two rackets and is most looking forward to “just spending time with my family,” credited his success on the courts to his parents noting “mom and dad coached me good” while adding “my effort, my feet and intensity” are the major factors in his success.

Epkey, whose favorite player is Carlos Alcaraz, is in pretty good company when it comes to Mountain State tennis and the “Little Mo” nationals.

Parkersburg High’s Alex Bush reached nationals thrice in 1998, 1999 and 2000 before she was a Big Red and went on to be a standout player at Cleveland State.

Former Huntington High players Cassie Mercer and Hunter Tubert also qualified in 2005. Mercer played at Virginia and Tubert went on to Ohio State.

The event, which will use four sites to run the tournament with Epkey competing at Westlake High School, honors Maureen “Little Mo” Connolly Brinker, who won the first women’s Grand Slam in 1953.

Contact Jay Bennett at jbennett@newsandsentinel.com