From Oct. 26 to 27, the Colgate University women’s tennis team participated in the ITA Patriot League Masters Tournament at the United States Military Academy at West Point. The Raiders faced off against tough opponents from across the Patriot League as they looked to bring some hardware back to Hamilton, NY.
Following the tournament, two team captains, seniors Addie Eklund and Eliza Podlas weighed in on the results of the tournament, which included sophomore Sophia Montero besting her Holy Cross opponent 6-0, 6-1, making it to the quarterfinals of women’s singles.
Podlas emphasized the great weather and smooth running of the tournament as delays to match start times from bad weather can often inhibit the athletes’ preparation. Thus, it was very significant to her that her match started promptly, allowing her to get in and out of playing in the time she previously anticipated.
“I thought that it was a great environment with the fans, the weather. The logistics were great, it was a smooth and efficient tournament.” said Podlas.
Junior Amelia Galin reflected on the success the women’s team had earlier in the year during the Colgate Invitational, hosted at home in Hamilton. Galin and her doubles partner, sophomore Sophia Montero won the top flight doubles title at the tournament.
Galin commented on her shared victory, citing hard training at the root of her thrilling and meaningful win in front of friends and family.
“My doubles partner and I have been training hard, so I was thrilled to get that win at home, it meant a lot. The positive support from our teammates, family and friends kept us focused and energized. It was a great win for us, and we’re excited for more competition in the spring season,” Galin said.
In further discussing what these results mean for the team heading into the winter off-season, Podlas and Eklund shared helpful insights about what these tournaments allow the coaches and players to anticipate for the spring season.
As Eklund explained, playing fall matches against teams such as Siena College, Le Moyne College and Niagara University — future spring opponents of Colgate tennis — lets the team feel out the strength of these programs ahead of the upcoming spring season. Furthermore, these tournaments are good ways for coaches to evaluate the performances of individual players and adjust accordingly in the off-season. Overall, Podlas and Eklund think the team is headed in the right direction.
“We are very excited to see where the team is headed. We have high hopes and aspirations because the team continues to improve,” Podlas said.
This is an especially significant season to the two captains as it is their final year playing on the team. Eklund and Podlas, who have been playing on the team since their first year and sophomore years respectively, highlighted the emotional significance of the upcoming spring season to them.
Eklund also mentioned that thinking about this season as potentially her last competitive tennis season helps her reinforce the idea that it’s crunch time for her. Both captains also referenced how this might be their last time playing tennis competitively, and how this makes them want to savor every last moment with the team.
“With the great relationships we have with our players and coaches, we’re sad because the curtains are closing,” Eklund said.
