Ray graduate Carl Hilliard headed to Pickleball U.S. Open in Florida
Ray graduate and Corpus Christi native Carl Hilliard will compete at the annual Pickleball U.S. Open tournament this weekend in Naples, Florida.
Hilliard, a senior and a computer science major at Texas A&M Corpus Christi, was rated No. 91 in men's professional pickleball singles as of July 2022 with multiple match wins on the PPA tour.
In July 2016, Hilliard was ranked the No. 3 tennis player in Texas for the 16-year-old age group and No. 40 overall in tennis for the same age group.
Hilliard was introduced to pickleball in 2020 by Hilary and Charlie Marold at the Corpus Christi Country Club.
“They taught me how to play the game, when to use strategic dink shots, and they continue to play doubles with me whenever they are in town," Hilliard said in a news release. "They are the reason I’m able to compete at such a high level and they are the reason I love the game so much.”
In addition to the Marold’s guidance, Lenson Smith and Zach Williams, who are teaching pros at the Corpus Christi Country Club, also allowed Hilliard to practice the sport and gain a deeper understanding of the singles game of pickleball.
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Ray grad Carl Hilliard headed to Pickleball U.S. Open in Florida
