With the new semester starting, fall sports are upon us as the Oswego State women’s tennis team begin their 2019 campaign. Coming into the year the team is focused on growth as a group on and off the court.
The team is off to a 1-1 start, following a victory against Hartwick College by a score of 7-2. Then the Lakers dropped a close match 5-4 to Houghton College on Tuesday. The team seems to be pleased with the first two outings of the season.
“I’m very proud of the first two matches,” head coach Shane Evans said. “We weren’t sure about the level that Hartwick was at, but we put in a lot of time and effort leading up to that match and it paid off fairly well.”
Despite showing some positives in the first two matches of the season, the team still has more to accomplish. This is a Lakers squad that is looking to become a family.
“The first expectation is that we all get familiar with each other,” Evans said. “We’re all team bonding.”
Chemistry should not be a problem for this group, with five out of the nine players on the roster returning. The team is focused on working together.
“Getting closer together on and off the court, I think that’s super important,” junior captain Bridgette Bender said. “A good portion of our team lives together and we’ve really tried to welcome all the new girls and do team bonding with them, because if you like your teammates you’re going to play better.”
With three underclassmen on the roster, it is important to communicate, as it helps keep athletes loose and comfortable
“We have really good teamwork,” senior captain Lorrayne Broach said. “Really good communication across the whole team.”
Broach is one of two seniors on the roster and has appeared in matches for the Lakers since her sophomore year. Due to this experience, Evans will look to Broach to be a leader on the team this season.
“[Broach has] been my captain since her sophomore year,” Evans said. “She gets them organized, she gets them focused, she runs the warm ups in the beginning. I really look to her to set a good example for the rest of the team and I think a lot of the new players especially are buying into it.”
Broach is not the only leader on this team, however. The other captain on the roster is Bender, who will be taking a different path in her leadership role this season. She has yet to appear in either of the teams first two matches of the season due to an injury.
“Currently I am recovering from an ACL injury,” Bender said. “I’m trying to work hard so I can play my best matches in the spring.”
Bender is still able to fill her lead-ership role despite not playing in matches. Because of her leadership, she has had a big impact on the team.
“I think Bridgette being off the court, really seeing everything that’s going on is great from a player to player perspective,” Broach said. “I know exactly how that is, in that specific match, making those decisions, getting advice from [Bender] in the middle of a match is great.”
With all the leadership available to the players, there is an expectation of growth from the new players on the roster, specifically the three freshmen that joined the squad this year.
“I just want them to take time as freshmen to learn,” Evans said. “To watch how the returners are playing, watch how they’re practicing, look at their demeanor. Pretty much it’s a learning experience for them.”
The Oswegonian file photo from 2018
