The men’s and women’s tennis teams are both gearing up for a their first competition at Daemen College next Friday, September 15. The men’s team is preparing for the season ahead, and is looking for ways to improve from last season’s record of 13-11. Coming off the energy of summer training camps and feeling focused with a good group of first-year players, the team is ready to take on the season. During the offseason, men’s and women’s tennis picked up a new assistant coach, Hannah Fleckenstein ’17. She was a captain of the women’s team last season, and now looks to continue her leadership on the team as a member of the coaching staff.  The fall season presents a good opportunity for the team to get ready for the spring. The spring season is when the biggest tournaments are held, including the Patriot League Tournament. While the team has some new energy, it also has many talented veterans. Seniors such as Jacob Daugherty are getting ready to lead the team to victory this season.

Maroon-News: How did preseason go for the team?

Jacob Daugherty: Preseason went well. We have a group of four first-years that have shown that they can really play. They worked hard during the last two weeks of practice and they have shown that they are ready to go.

MN: What are your goals as a team and for yourself this season?

JD: I think we want to start on the right foot this fall. There are four straight weekends of tough competition coming up, which is going to be a challenge. Personally, I want to win some fights and prepare myself for the spring. The ITA [Intercollegiate Tennis Association] Tournament is at the end of the fall season, and that’s the toughest competition that I’ll have all year. I want to make it as far as I can in

that tournament.

MN: What matches should we look out for this fall?

JD: The Binghamton Invite is going to be tough. They’re a strong team, and we have good matches against them. That tournament usually brings in some really good teams, so it will certainly be a challenge. The Brown Tournament will be four dual matches over the weekend, and that will show us where we’re at for the spring.

MN: How do you plan on improving on

last season?

JD: I think everyone’s goal is to make it past quarter finals of the Patriot League Tournament in the spring. Everything before that is really just preparation for that tournament. In order to do well in that tournament, we’re trying to peak as a team around next March or April.

MN: What do you feel are your strengths as a team this season?

JD: I feel that we are much more focused this season. The new players are really good, and they are much more tennis-centric than the new players that we’ve had in the past. The culture of the team this season is much more focused on making improvements and achieving our goals as a team.

This fall season should be a good one for tennis as they come into their first invite focused and with some talented young players.The team has some matches coming up at Daemen College, Binghamton and Brown. They return home to face Le Moyne on October 4.

Contact Jace DeMar

at [email protected].