One may forget how much of a luxury margin of error is - that is, until that margin disappears.
West Virginia State's women's tennis team is dealing with a harrowing bit of math this season. Six players plus six singles matches plus three doubles matches equals zero of that coveted margin of error.
Yet, even without that wiggle room, the Yellow Jackets have done this season what they've done in so many seasons prior - win ... a lot.
College tennis competitions call for six singles matches and three doubles matches. WVSU has just enough to fill those slots. Of course, the Yellow Jackets would rather have reinforcements. Head coach John Simms said, in a perfect world, a team would carry eight players. Seven works fine, enough to include an alternate, just in case a player gets sick or gets injured.
But athletic budget cuts at West Virginia State filtered down into the scholarship numbers, so Simms could only field a team of six. He tried to find a couple of local players to walk on, but to no avail.
So if a State player is feeling some soreness? Ice up. Have a cold? Swig some cough syrup and grab a racket. Otherwise, the team walks into the day in a two-match hole, unable to field a singles player and a doubles team.
"This is my 14th year and this has been, by far, the most difficult year in getting full teams on the court and the toughest for them," Simms said. "In terms of championship teams, they've had the most difficult road, just being out there to compete."
Championships have become commonplace with State women's tennis. The Yellow Jackets have won the last four Mountain East Conference tournaments. The current roster, with three members who have been on at least one of those title-winning teams, doesn't want to break that streak.
Now would be the time on past teams that the Yellow Jackets would turn to their seniors for leadership. Just one problem - this State team has no seniors. It has just one junior, Nina Dillwald. The rest of the roster includes two sophomores and three freshmen.
So younger players, those who should still be getting used to college tennis and college life as a whole, are being called upon to shoulder the burdens of veterans. And those shoulders are holding up fine, starting with State's No. 1 player, sophomore Laura Isbey.
What helps is that there hasn't been a need for any one player to step up as a leader. All six are comfortable with one another, root for one another and are happy to team up with one another.
"We all just work really hard together, so that's cool," Isbey said. "There's no one who really needed to depend on anyone. We're all there for each other. It's fun."
Tennis, especially at the higher levels, can be a lonely sport. Junior players can zip all over the world, from tournament to tournament. Often, they have a coach and a parent in tow. The closest thing they come to a team is a doubles partner.
In college, though, a team concept remains. And that can alleviate some of the pressure, knowing there are teammates to cheer you on and help you push through aches, pains and mental hurdles.
"Everyone's just a bunch of friends," Isbey said. "We're all kind of on the same level. I definitely like being on a team. You have a whole bunch of friends. We're all cheering for each other and it's much more enjoyable."
Those prior championships also help in crafting future teams. Because of WVSU's success, Simms can cast a wider recruiting net and reel in high-caliber players. Of the six, two - Isbey and freshman Kierstin Hensley - were named to the All-MEC first team. Two more - Dillwald and freshman Marta Yevstakhevych - were named to the second team. Isbey was named the conference's player of the year.
The Yellow Jackets finished an unblemished conference season at 7-0, secured the regular-season crown and the No. 1 seed in this year's conference tournament and begin their quest for a fifth tournament title Saturday in Huntington. The future is looking bright, too. Simms lauded new WVSU President Anthony Jenkins and athletic director Nate Burton, and said the two have told him they'll sit down after the season to discuss future funding.
For now, Simms will roll with his crew of six, a group which has battled through plenty this year and come out ahead.
"I expected them to do well, but they've exceeded my expectations," Simms said. "I thought they could probably handle it, but they've done better than just handling it. They've actually embraced it and fought through a lot of things."
Contact Derek Redd at 304-348-1712 or derek.redd@wvgazettemail.com. Follow him on Twitter @derekredd.