By Andrew Petropulos
As the fall sports season comes to a close, the men’s and women’s tennis teams have had several opportunities to showcase their strengths in regional competition and spring tournament preparation.
The men’s team entered the season with a strong 13-4 overall record last spring, including a 5-3 mark against NEWMAC opponents, with losses to Babson and MIT. On the women’s side, the Pride finished last season with a 9-8 overall record and a 4-5 record against NEWMAC competition.
“The fall season has been great for both programs,” men’s and women’s coach Tanner DeVarennes said. “The teams are in very different stages of experience, with our men’s roster featuring only one freshman and our women’s team having five. Both squads finished undefeated in dual matches this fall—the men went 3-0 and the women 1-0. We have laid the foundation and set the standard for a strong spring season ahead.”
The men’s team wrapped up the fall with a 3-0 record against UMass Boston, Western New England and Hartford. They also competed in the ITA Regional Championships and the Springfield Invitational, where the Pride recorded six doubles wins and thirteen singles wins. Junior Angelo Guzman and senior Phakin Thongbooncharoen posted multiple singles victories, while sophomores Liam Huppke and Akito Shimamura, along with seniors Tim Norin and Ethan Gomulka, combined for most of the doubles wins.
The women’s team posted a 7-0 victory against Hartford on September 28th and competed in multiple invitationals, including the ITA Regional Championship, Springfield Invitational and NEWITT Tournament. Freshman Erica Jud was a standout at the ITA Regional Championship, being the only Pride member to advance past the first round of singles. Jud and sophomore Grace Tyler won the ‘B’ draw at the Springfield Invitational. Freshman Anya Koshy and junior Catie Seklecki also picked up singles wins. First-years Peyton Gaudreau and Jud made it to the semifinals of the ‘B’ draw.
“Our season was very short, but it was a lot of fun to get back into it,” sophomore Ava Shea said. “When we did have matches, they were very competitive and just fun overall.”
Both teams will open their spring season with a trip to Florida during spring break to compete in several matches.
“Each team stays in a large 5-7 bedroom house where they live and cook together,” DeVarennes said. “It’s a great opportunity to bond as teammates and create unforgettable memories. We’ll have a day of training followed by four consecutive matches against opponents from across the country. It’s excellent for improving our tennis and strengthening team chemistry.”
“It’s super fun,” said Shea. “We play a lot of matches, and the complex is so nice. But it’s not just about tennis; it’s about being close with my team.”
In mid-March, the Pride will face off against teams from around the country in Orlando. Following the Orlando trip, both teams will return to conference play. The men’s team will hope to compete with Babson and MIT, who finished first and second last season. For the women, MIT, Wellesley, Babson and Smith finished ahead of Springfield last year. With the NEWMAC tournament typically taking place in late April, the Pride aren’t zeroing in on any particular opponents just yet despite losses to MIT and Smith for the men’s and women’s teams respectively in last year’s edition.
“We aren’t focused on any specific match right now,” DeVarennes said. “We’re focused on getting a little better every day. We need to stack good days into good weeks. With a long gap until our next competition, it can be challenging to stay present, but we must remain process-oriented and take it one day at a time.”
(Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)