Shelley Grostefon
Contributing Writer
Both the men’s and women’s tennis teams are looking forward to a promising 2016 spring season.
Last year the men’s team held a record of .500 under the leadership of their new coach, Zachary Hasenyager. This season, Hasenyager hopes that his team will improve to a winning record, believing that the team will be able to succeed despite various challenges.
A valuable group of four seniors who contributed to the team’s past success, as well as two other returning players, left the team this year. As a result, the team is rather small and young, but Hasenyager does not believe that the team’s potential has lessened. He cited the members’ “maturity and competitive spirit” in addition to contributions from the new team members.
The team has gained three first-years: Kieran McTague, Jesse Dewitt and Michael Beatty. The three first-years will add to both the singles and doubles lineups, which will add “needed depth to the roster,” Hasenyager said.
Returning players Titas Bera ’18, who will play at the number one singles position and Davis Elkins ’17, who will compete at the number one doubles position, will lead the team.
In addition to the challenge of being young, the team will face a difficult and competitive schedule. Despite the demanding schedule, it already has two 5-4 wins, and Hasenyager believes that these competitive and close victories will continue throughout the season. None of the matches will be easy, but Hasenyager hopes his team will be able to continue the progress it began last year.
Coach Amy Behrman of the women’s tennis team is equally as optimistic for her team’s upcoming season. Behrman hopes that the team, led by Catherine Christian ’16, Elizabeth Brewington ’17 and Rachel Molé ’17 will be able to improve on their record from last season, which had seven wins and 14 losses overall.
Behrman felt that many of these losses, which were by a 4-5 or 3-6 margin, were winnable matches, and she hopes that this season the team can get the win when it is that close. In order to do this, the team will need to “play smarter, dig a little deeper,” and draw on their competitiveness, Behrman said.
More specifically, Behrman hopes to improve upon the team’s doubles play, as doubles are played earlier in the day than singles, setting the tone for the day. Behrman also emphasized the importance of practicing the fundamentals, as well as decreasing the amount of unforced errors. In focusing on doubles in practice and adding depth and flexibility to the doubles lineup, Behrman hopes that close matches will end in victories for the Fighting Scots.
The team is also welcoming three first years who will look to contribute to the success of the team: Aditi Sringeri, Kaitlyn Harrison and Anne-Sophia Haanen.
On Feb. 20, the men’s team fell to DePauw University 9-0 and beat Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology 5-4. They play today at 6 p.m. in Medina, Ohio, against John Carroll University.
The women’s team fell on Feb. 20 to DePauw 9-0 and to Centre College 7-2. They played Wednesday after press time. They also play John Carroll Univeristy at 6 p.m. in Medina.