The Webster University men’s tennis team has not been blessed with good weather, forcing them to practice in Grant Gymnasium. If the rest of the season was played inside of gymnasiums, the Gorlok’s could be looking at a dominant season.
“If we ever play anybody on a gym floor, we’d be pretty good,” Head Coach Mike Siener said.
Unfortunately for the men’s team, they will be playing outside for most of the season.
The men’s team has not seen competition since their Feb. 22 matchup against Dominican University, an 8-1 win. Due to two postponed matches, the Gorloks had time to work on their game.
Siener said his team has been working on a number of their individual play aspects, including shot selection and keeping the ball in play. But one thing Siener stressed was the team’s need to be consistent.
“In tennis, one kid can’t get hot and carry the team. You have to have most of your players playing well if you’re going to win,” Siener said.
Coming back from spring break, Siener advised his team to use the break in order to practice their hits. The coach said he liked what he saw at Monday’s practice, which was their first practice outside in three weeks.
“I could tell they had been hitting because the focus was there,” Siener said.
With a team that largely consists of underclassmen who lack game experience, Siener said his team will not be rebuilding this season, but rather transitioning. It will be hard to track the progress of each player game-to-game, Siener said, but anything can happen.
“We have a young team and a little inexperience, but I do expect us to compete in every match. I’d be surprised if we didn’t have a good year because I think we have good kids and they work hard,” Siener said.
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