Johnnie tennis working to win close matches in conference play

The St. John’s tennis team currently sits 1-1 in the MIAC. Despite winning three of the singles matches on Saturday, the team lost 6-3 against St. Scholastica with the Saints taking all three doubles matches and the other three singles matches. However, all nine matches were closely contested.

With seven regular season MIAC matches remaining, the Johnnies look to be competitive in the conference.

Senior captain Mark Rosen is happy with how Saturday’s match went. Rosen won his singles match, which he said was a revenge match for him because he had lost to that same guy twice last year, so it felt good to win. He was also optimistic about seeing St. Scholastica later in the season.

“I think we could get them in the playoffs if we see them again. We have work to do, but that’s a good goal for us to set,” Rosen said.

Rosen is excited about how the season is going so far.

“We have a really fun team, and it’s been great to get to know some of the new guys on [the] team and getting to develop future leaders. On our spring break trip we didn’t win any matches, but the team got better, which is all we can ask for,” Rosen said.

Being his senior season, Rosen looks forward to spending time with his teammates after matches.

“Team meals after matches is something I’ll probably remember the most. I’m also looking forward to hopefully getting to have some practices outside,” Rosen said.

First-year Sam Wolden also won his singles match on Saturday.

“I played my best tennis all year against a very good team with lots of very competitive opponents. The team had lots of really close losses that we could definitely flip to wins in the future,” Wolden said.

In preparation for high-ranking MIAC teams like Gustavus and Carleton, Wolden said the key is figuring out the chemistry between doubles partners and making sure everyone is on the same page.

As a first-year, something Wolden is excited about is the team’s match against Bethel.

“My best friend from high school plays tennis for them and he could be someone I face, which would be really fun. I’m also excited about getting more involved in matches and spending more time with the team,” Wolden said.

Senior captain Mason Meyer also won his singles match.

“Singles went really well for me. I won the first set and then secured the tiebreaker pretty easily. They were a good team with some really good players,” Meyer said.

Meyer said in both conference matches they have had, the team has gotten swept in the doubles competition, so fixing this would help the team’s success a lot.

However, the Johnnies’ singles competition has been competitive throughout the season so far. In terms of conference play, Meyer said the MIAC has a lot of competitive teams, and most matches will probably be close. The team is preparing for these matches.

“We practice our volleys and serves a lot during practice as well as our match play, so we know how to play when it’s an actual match. Knowing how to communicate is also very important, and our coaches giving us advice throughout practice is helpful,” Meyer said.

For his senior season, Meyer is most looking forward to the playoffs.

“Last year we lost to St. Scholastica 9-0 in the regular season but beat them 5-4 in the playoffs, so anything can happen during the postseason,” Meyer said.

Head coach Jack Bowe said although the team’s record doesn’t show it, the season is going well, and everyone on the team has been improving. Bowe said he always schedules tough teams for their spring break trip because it makes them a better team when they get back home.

“Playing strong teams makes us a better, more well-rounded team. Playing weaker teams doesn’t make us any better, so having this competition is good preparation for MIAC matches,” Bowe said.

Bowe’s favorite part of the season so far has been watching the team come together with talent and leadership.

“I have a lot of seniors and great captains. It’s a good nucleus of players that get along really well on and off the court,” Bowe said.