Club Tennis is gearing up for another great season this fall. With an exceptional turnout at tryouts and plenty of new members, the team is hoping to bring its A-game to the upcoming season.
On Sunday, Sept. 8, the team participated in a tournament here at home against Sacred Heart University and Quinnipiac University. The Stags pulled out a win in the first two rounds against Quinnipiac and the final round’s tie against Sacred Heart led to an overall tie for first place for Fairfield in the tournament. The last match of the tournament saw first-years Devlynn King-McDonough and Brooke Gori achieve a tie-breaking victory.
“The last match was intense because of the heat and the constant back and forth made it go on for what felt like forever,” King-McDonough said. “I was nervous while serving previously in the match, but when it came down to it, I allowed myself to become calm to finish the game. It also felt awesome to win my first match as a first-year!”
Riding that high from the first tournament of the season, the team is looking to continue its success going forward. Senior captain Madison Phillips explained, “Our whole team is really looking forward to the rest of the season, not only for matches and practices, but
especially getting to know all our new members of the team and starting to form relationships.”
Sophomore Lauren Buckley agreed, “My favorite thing [about the team] would be all the people that I met throughout it and how nice of a community it is.”
To spectators, it’s clear this is a tight-knit team. The co-ed nature of the team gives boys and girls the opportunity to play against one another, allowing them to vary their competition and develop their skills.
“You’re always trying to improve; you’re always trying to get better as a player,” Buckley continued. “Personally, I want to work on gaining some of my confidence on the court, trying different kinds of shots…just going for it instead of being more hesitant in matches.”
The future looks bright for club tennis. “We have a lot of great players on the team this year,” said Phillips. For the incoming first-years, the team is a welcoming environment with plenty of chances to grow and progress. “I tried out not knowing much about the team, but I am so glad I did,” King-McDonough mentioned. “Practices are fun but also rewarding, and it feels great to be active and have a new group of friends.
Club Tennis will play their next match against Marist University in Poughkeepsie, NY this Thursday, Oct. 9. After that, they will play against Holy Cross on Sunday, Oct. 19.
