By: Maggie Sharp
With five more wins than last season, Western’s tennis finished the season with a 10-12 record and competed in the quarterfinals of the MIAA Championships.
The team is excited to grow and improve on their record, from five wins to 10, as well as going from being one of the only teams not in the playoffs to being a contender.
Head Coach Shawn Becker found that the improvement in the record was huge in terms of the overall performance, attitude and how the team carried themselves. He is confident it will continue.
“I am looking forward to our returners coming in because they will capitalize on the success they had this year,” Becker said. “I am definitely excited about the new faces coming in to help take us to the next level.”
Practice hours total between 15-18 a week, about 14 of which are generally on the court while the rest is running and conditioning. The team members do their best to practice with different hitters to identify weaknesses and use their strengths.
Sophomore Katherine Yeacker said despite many challenges including athlete injuries, exceeding five wins and creating a better record than the previous year the season was monumental for the team.
Athletics and academics are always a balancing act that players must manage during the season. This was no different for some of the athletes on this team.
Junior Joanna Abreu Roman said that time management and organization is key to helping the team keep their GPA high.
“We have a lot to do but I think we have the best team GPA overall,” Roman said. “I think when you have a lot to do you just use your time carefully to get done what you need to get done and play both roles you need on campus.”
The team looks forward to an exciting new season where they hope to improve their record and move forward together.
