The men’s and women’s tennis teams traveled to Philadelphia and Lawrenceville, New Jersey last weekend to take on St. Joseph’s University and Rider University, losing 5-2 and 4-3, respectively.
Freshman Hanna Ganchi explained that while the team dynamic is positive, there is room for improvement.
“I think a great strength that we have is that we are very close as a team,” Ganchi said. “We cheer each other on and look out for each other on and off the court. The girls on our team are very hard-working and put everything they have into the matches. Our previous two matches were so incredibly close and against great teams.”
“The girls and I are definitely trying to work on our nerves and staying clean and confident in super stressful and close matches,” Ganchi said of her teammates.
Ganchi was a bright spot in the competition, securing a win in every one of her matches. Her most notable performance came during the singles against Saint Joseph’s, as she beat her opponent 6-3, 6-0. She also triumphed in doubles, as she emerged victorious by a score of 6-4 with sophomore Carmen Merkel.
Ganchi noted the effects of a lack of consistent enthusiasm within the team.
“Something that we should work on as a team is keeping our energy up,” Ganchi said. “We do such a great job supporting each other throughout the match, but we just need to make sure that we are keeping the same high energy ’til the end of the matches. Tennis match outcomes can change so quickly so every little bit makes a difference and helps. Our coaches stress the importance to us a lot and we are definitely getting so much better at it.”
The duo consisting of junior Olivia Boeckman and sophomore Alyssa Perdomo won 6-1 against St. Joseph’s, and freshman Ally Bauer beat her Rider opponent 6-3, 7-5.
Nevertheless, the Pards fell to the Hawks and the Broncos.
The women look to redeem themselves in their upcoming matches against Wilkes University and Union College, on Feb. 24 and 25, respectively.
The men’s team fell to the Hawks of Saint Joseph’s by a score of 6-1. Junior Arman Ganchi, who is Hanna Ganchi’s brother, paved the way for the Leopards. He was the only player able to secure a victory, as he found success in his singles match with a final score of 6-3, 6-2.
“I think a strength would be our singles play and energy on-court and a weakness would be our transition game in doubles and putting balls away,” Arman Ganchi said. “This costs us the doubles point which makes going into singles much tougher.”
Like his sister, Arman Ganchi spoke about the balance of the group and the individual.
“Individually, I obviously do my best to win my singles matches and work on what I need to improve on, but I also make sure to help out and support my teammates on and off the court by giving advice and cheering them on,” he said. “Even while I am playing my singles match, it is important to remember that this is a team sport and make sure I am cheering and supporting the team. On-court energy is such a big deal in college tennis.”
The Leopards look forward to their upcoming match against The College of New Jersey Lions on Saturday in Madison, New Jersey.