Matt Olszewski
Sports Editor
The College of Wooster men’s tennis team has had a challenging but rewarding season thus far. Through the season’s adversity, the team members have been able to build strong connections with one another.
“We all have built a strong bond, and as a first year I believe that it’s helped me to become more comfortable fitting into the college environment,” stated Ben Schrock ’22. Joaquin Abos Amo ’21 added onto this. “I like the atmosphere around the team and that we all get along very well with each other,” he said.
The team has been tested by great competition throughout the year, but these experiences have had a positive impact. “The season has definitely been challenging since there haven’t been any ‘free matches.’ Every match is usually very competitive, as the teams we play are very talented,” stated Luke Borgelt ’21. The men were able to pull out some tight wins against strong opponents, such as over Principia College during their Spring Break trip to southern California. The Scots came back to earn a 5-4 victory over the Panthers. In addition, the Scots picked up a key 8-1 win over NCAC opponent Allegheny College on Saturday, April 13. Not to mention, the Scots picked up a historic victory over Wabash College on Tuesday, March 12. The Scots topped Wabash 6-3 marking their first win over the Little Giants since 2016.
Although the team has faced some tough matches, the young squad remains hopeful: “The new first years have made many efforts to bring the team together within the offseason and outside of practices. I think this is a positive impact that didn’t happen as much last year,” stated Borgelt.
“[The first years] have won a lot of matches throughout the season and helped the team a lot on and off the court. They are really good tennis players with a lot of potential and ability to improve in the future but, most importantly, they are great guys and good friends,” said Abos Amo.
Not only does the team have plenty of young talent, but they have a very strong team dynamic as well. “My favorite thing about the team is the amount of energy and support we put in during our matches,” stated Schrock. “My favorite thing about the team is that we all have different characters and create an amazing atmosphere,” added Nebyou Minassie ’22.
Lastly, Borgelt described how the team is underestimated. “My favorite thing about the team is that even though we are often seen as the ‘underdogs’ within our conference, we all put forth our best efforts and don’t ever enter a match thinking we have no chance at winning. I think this has contributed to our successes as a team,” he said.
The men have contributed much of their success and team positivity to Head Coach Zachary Hasenyager. Hasenyager is currently in his fifth year with the team and has had a very noticeable impact on the program. “He has motivated us by giving us a goal to meet, placing higher than seventh [in the conference] which we already have. Now we have another goal to place as high as we can,” said Nathan Devereux ’20.
In addition, Minassie added that, “[Coach] played a huge role in our progression of day to day, most importantly on our confidence.”
Abos Amo also emphasized the support of Hasenyager. “He is a tennis-lover and I think that energy is contagious. He tries to challenge us and encourage us to be committed and give our 100 percent every time we step on the court. He is also supportive when things are not working out and always trying to look for solutions and ways to improve and succeed as a team,” he said.
The men will stay eager and hope to finish the season strong as they travel to Indianapolis, Ind. for the NCAC tournament from April 26-28. They will face the third-ranked Tigers of DePauw University in their first game at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday.