Tennis duos, singles ready for matches

UMHB’s men’s and women’s tennis teams are off to a promising season.

Team members played well in this past weekend’s Spring Classic Tournament against the Eastfield College of Dallas Harvesters and the Temple College Wildcats.

The Cru matchup against Albion College March 10 was postponed until further notice due to weather conditions.

The men’s team lost three significant members last spring season, but head coach for the Cru James Cohagen knows this year’s group has skilled individuals who will continue to carry on the momentum.

“Anytime a team loses key players, it’s going to take some readjusting, but we have some pretty talented players this season and I’m confident we’ll do well.”

He said the team is young and although there is always room for growth and improvement for both the men and women, each spring is a rebuilding year for individuals.

“Sometimes players who were confident during the singles aren’t always as confident coming into the doubles season. Chemistry is different, momentum is different so that plays a large part in how they’ll do throughout the matches.”

Despite the shift, fourth year returnee for the men Colby Nichols said the players’ individual talents will benefit the team as a whole.

“Our biggest improvement is our depth in doubles and our players’ abilities to play any position. Most of us are grinders, basically we hardly ever give up on a point,” he said. “We have a lot of heart and often rely on that to bring us through in the clutch.”

Sophomore team member Jenna Pergande agrees.

“(We’re) much more dedicated this year. Everyone is improving, working hard and trying to maintain the necessary mentality to win.”

She said each player contributes significantly to the teams’ overall approach to the game both on and off the court.

“(We’ve) been conditioning and practicing hard since the beginning of the semester. We've played in a few tournaments and dual matches in preparation for the upcoming ones. We're about to start competing in matches that will count toward rankings, so hopefully we'll see all of the hard work pay off.”

The teams will take on Sul Ross State University in the conference opener March 14.