Colgate Women’s Tennis picked up a win over Le Moyne College on Friday, Mar. 6, improving their record to 4-6 on the season. After a slow start, going 0-3 in their first three matches, the team secured its first victory on Feb. 14 against Siena College, which marked new head coach Damien Prohaska’s first win with the Raiders.
Senior captain Amelia Galin said that the key to the team’s success this year is ensuring that they stay focused throughout the duration of the season.
“Intensity [needs to be] constant across every court from the first serve to the last,” Galin said.
As the team continues its season, its focus will be on maintaining strong team culture and on practice and game preparation. Junior Sophia Montero noted that the team has grown very close over the course of the year, and that the shared bond has helped them perform at a high level in matches. Montero also addressed how the year’s challenging schedule has led to a higher level of intensity.
“It has pushed the team to practice harder and perform better in their matches,” Montero said.
The team was able to stay composed after a difficult 4-0 loss to Army on Feb. 28. The Raiders organized and responded to that disappointment with an impressive 6-1 victory over Mercyhurst University the very next weekend. The contrast between those two matches highlighted the squad’s mental stamina and their ability to recover quickly.
Galin says that those matches, along with others against Duquesne University, Saint Francis University and Villanova University, have prepared the team to face high-quality opponents without being surprised by the level of play. Galin described it as a “huge boost” that the team was able to stay composed and remain supportive after the Army match.
Galin and fellow senior captain Sasha Herman are the only seniors on the team. Their focus will be on both their own performance and on mentoring the younger players in order to set the team up for future success. Galin expressed confidence that her teammates will be able to step into high-pressure situations both this year and in the future. The team’s ability to overcome the adversity they faced against Army speaks to their resilience as individual players and as a team.
Galin also praised her teammates in the middle of the lineup, noting how those matches tend to be the most grueling and entertaining.
“Fans should definitely watch the middle of our lineup,” she said. “Those matches are often the longest and require the most patience, and our players, such as sophomores Anya [Kunar] and Rebecca [Hess] at lines 3 and 4, are doing an incredible job of staying mentally tough and outworking their opponents.”
Junior Gigi Bohan spoke about the team’s recent successes and what she is looking forward to as the season continues.
“We had an awesome win on senior day last weekend against Le Moyne, which was also our last home match for the season,” she said. “We are also really looking forward to our spring break trip in San Diego.”
Overall, the team will focus on their tenacity as they head into the latter half of the season. Already, they have found that moving on from tough matches will be essential to their success as a team. Galin referenced the popular mantra from the hit TV show “Ted Lasso,” that players need to have a memory like a goldfish. The culture of the team has developed into one of unconditional support, regardless of the score in a given match.
“Especially with tennis, anything can happen,” Galin said. “We are playing for the program and for each other, and we know that if we keep our focus on the next point, the results will follow.”
The Raiders will travel out to San Diego to compete during spring break, before returning home for Patriot League action through the rest of the month and April. The Raiders have upcoming matches against Holy Cross (Mar. 14), Point Loma (Mar. 16), and Dartmouth (Mar. 18), all of which are away. With a record of 4-6 as of Mar. 13, they will try to build on their momentum and make a playoff push as the season begins to come down to the wire.
