Tennis teams find success early on in season

Both CSB and SJU tennis teams are off to a successful start this season, with the Bennies being 6-3 and the Johnnies being 7-2.

With a much more normal season in comparison to the COVID-impacted season last year, each tennis team has found their stride in making personal connections with each other, which has corresponded to plays on the court.

“I think the team chemistry has been great this year. The spring break trip plays a huge role in building team chemistry. We all stay together in a house for a week, and it’s a great time to bond as a team,” said Wil McDowell, SJU junior tennis captain.

While becoming closer as a team, SJU tennis has been able to compete against higher-ranking schools to challenge them and their stronger players.

“Our season is going very well so far. We are playing great tennis and have been able to gain valuable experience by playing some DII and NAIA schools,” SJU junior tennis player Joseph Dwyer said.

McDowell emphasized the team’s success this year.

“I think we’re off to a great start this season. Our only losses were to some tough NAIA teams down in Florida over spring break. We have won all our conference matches so far and can hopefully continue that streak in the coming weeks,” McDowell said.

The Bennie team has also been thriving off of great team chemistry.

“This season we have a pretty small team of nine players and an even distribution between classes with seniors, juniors, sophomores and freshmen, so we all are pretty close. Especially with our spring break trip and three of our away matches being more than two hours away, we had some fun van rides and got to know each other well,” CSB junior tennis player Brooke Tonnessen said.

The team’s close chemistry has fostered a positive experience both on and off the court.

“My favorite part about the team is our ability to laugh about things together, even in the face of challenges or awkward situations. Tennis is supposed to be fun first and foremost, and I think our team has never had a problem with that,” CSB senior tennis player Lily Fredericks said.

Both teams have high goals for this upcoming season, which they are determined to give their all to accomplish.

“As a team, we would like to qualify for the MIAC tournament at the end of the season,” McDowell said.

The Bennie team echoes this.

“CSB tennis hasn’t made it to the MIAC playoffs since 2015, so it is a big goal of ours to get to the playoffs. We also just want to play our best and come off the court feeling good about how we played and improve each match” Tonnessen said.

CSB tennis has their next match on March 25 against St. Cloud State, while SJU tennis has their next match against Augustana on March 26.