By Ty Sanges
Coming off of a successful fall, the Springfield College men’s and women’s tennis teams are back in full swing for their upcoming spring season.
Men’s and women’s head coach Tanner DeVarennes is thrilled to see what’s to come for both squads, getting set for their first matches.
“I’m most excited for the people and the experiences that we’re going to have,” DeVarennes said. “It’s a team of 23 awesome student-athletes, and a coaching staff of two graduate students. It’s a true joy of mine to be around them each and every day.”
In the fall, the men’s team enjoyed an undefeated season, picking up three wins against UMass Boston, Western New England and Hartford. The women picked up a win against Hartford as the only scoring match, going 1-0.
Both teams look to use this early success as momentum going into the spring.
“For the men’s team, I think we really hit the ground running,” DeVarennes said. “We were able to grow a lot as a team. We also got to really start to dive into double pairings, more tactics, more strategy, and really start to grow out level overall.”
For a young women’s squad, DeVarennes noted the goals were slightly different in the fall, but the end goal is always the same by the end of the season.
“We brought in five freshmen, and it’s definitely about getting them acquainted with our culture and our habits, but also working hard in practice and improving our level,” DeVarennes noted. “This spring, I think we’ve seen both the men and women achieve those things from the fall and they’re both in a really good spot heading into our first competition.”
Both the men’s and women’s teams open up the spring on Feb. 28 at Williams College. Williams’ men’s and women’s teams are both ranked within the top 20 in the country, a good test for the Pride early in their seasons.
On the men’s side, goals and expectations are high coming off of last year’s 13-4 record, losing in the NEWMAC semifinals. With an older squad, featuring four seniors, the team looks to break into the national scene this season, making a name for themselves against some of the best competition in the northeast.
“When you’re playing only 14 or 15 competitions, I think you have to take it day by day,” DeVarennes said. “At the same time, I’d be lying if I didn’t say going up against teams in the top 10 weren’t matches that we circled. We’re going to end our regular season with Babson at their place, a team who won our league and made the NCAA quarterfinals. That’s always a really great barometer to test where we are against anyone in the nation.”
Senior Ethan Gomulka has high aspirations for the team this season, wanting to put Springfield on the map for tennis.
“We want to get ranked this year,” Gomulka said. “That’s been our main goal. I’m a senior now, and we haven’t been ranked in my past three years here. We really think we have a shot, and I think this is the strongest team since I’ve been here. We have a lot of opportunities against ranked opponents that I really feel we can beat and get our name out there.”
With team camaraderie being vital, especially amongst double partners, Gomulka knows the importance of the team being one big family.
“We’re so close as a team,” Gomulka said. “It’s only me and one other person from the United States, and eight guys internationally. It’s a lot of cultures being brought together, but the guys are amazing. We’ve found ways to bridge those gaps and we hang out a ton outside of the court.”
The women’s team is coming off of a 9-8 record last season and a loss to Smith in the NEWMAC quarterfinals, looking to improve their finish this spring. With a young roster consisting of five first-years, coach DeVarennes knows leadership and familiarizing these younger athletes with the program will be a defining factor of this semester’s season.
“It’s all about coming together this season,” DeVarennes said. “We need to understand our culture as a team, understanding how we’re going to motivate and support each other. And then, it’s just about going out there and competing hungry. Whether you’re a freshman or a senior, I think we’re all more than capable of doing just that.”
As one of few upperclassmen on the team, senior Alysa Elliot also knows that acquainting everyone on the team is vital, and sees it as an important stepping stone heading into the early stages of the season.
“I think as a team we are currently focusing on coming together,” Elliot said. “When we compete, we need to be on the same page for each other, and I think it’ll lead to better scorelines than we had last year.”
Heading into the first match, Elliot and the rest of the women’s team has taken to heart what coach DeVarennes has been preaching in practice.
“He’s emphasized that we need to be tough,” Elliot said. “Being persistent, fighting for one extra point, one extra ball. Every point means working as hard as you can even though sometimes you’re going to lose, and make your opponent play more.”
As the men’s and women’s teams look forward to their first match, coach DeVarennes reflects on the moment as a whole, feeling honored to be in the position he is today.
“These are the opportunities I don’t take lightly,” DeVarennes said. “It’s just being around such great people, being able to coach and play the sport that we love and bring us together that is the real prize in the end.”
Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics