The fall season is almost over for the women’s tennis team, but their preparation for the spring is in full-bloom.
“It’s been great so far,” sophomore Alex Bastock said. “We’ve had some tough wins and some tough losses, but we’re starting off good.”
“I think we won matches we should have won,” sophomore Megan McNamara said.
The team is currently preparing for their final fall tournament, the Ohio Valley Regional, where the Raiders will play some of the toughest competition in the nation.
“We’re hoping to have some good matches against bigger name schools,” junior Chelsea Girgash said. “Teams like Michigan, Tennessee and Kentucky. It will be good experience for us.”
Bastock is setting the highest goals possible heading into the tournament.
“I want to win it,” Bastock said. “I want to make a name for Wright State.”
The tournament, which takes place in West Lafayette, IN, is a double-elimination format, so one school won’t be facing off against another. But the Ohio Valley Regional is the prelude to the spring season, which starts on January 26 when the Raiders host Robert Morris at the South Regency Tennis Center in Miamisburg.
The team says practices have focused on specific areas for each athlete, but the team as a whole is working on their doubles performances, which McNamara believes they are improving the most.
While the Raiders are battling a number of injuries, which Girgash classified as day-to-day, the team should be back to full-strength when the second half of the season begins in January.
“A lot of us had to sit out and not play,” McNamara said. “But our fitness has really improved from last year.”
The team has worked with strength and conditioning coach Jason Bradford three times a week, focusing on lifting and overall conditioning in addition to the maximum eight hours a week the team is allowed to practice.
During the two-month break between the fall and spring season, the Raiders hope to fine-tune their skills and make sure the team is healthy.
“We’re going to use the time to get fresh for the spring, focus on school and get ready to win,” McNamara said.
