By MAYAN PAZ
The 2023-24 season was challenging for the Fort Hays State University women’s tennis team. Although FHSU managed to win 6 out of their ten preseason tournament matches, the Tigers struggled during the spring season. However, the FHSU tennis team remains upbeat and confident they can improve in the 2024-25 season.
Head Coach Brian Flax leads the FHSU tennis team, which consists of ten players, including seven international student-athletes at FHSU. Sophomores Ines Latorre from Spain and Bethan Gill from Wales spoke about the challenges of last season and the expectations for the upcoming one. For Gill and Latorre, stopping the losing streak is a top priority, and they are ready to take the lessons of a tough first year and transition to a winning team.
“We are more prepared now and confident with our ability to beat our rivals,” Gill said.
Last season, Gill and Latorre had to adjust to the collegiate game as freshmen. Playing in college for the first time was quite a change from the environment they got used to playing in their home countries, and it was not an easy adjustment.
“Everyone was excited at the beginning of the season. We won matches and felt good, but it was different once we started playing in the conference,” Latorre said. “I’m not used to playing when there are six matches simultaneously, and when the crowd cheered in the other courts, it surprised me every time. It was something that threw me off during last season.”
Flax himself addressed the issue of the decreased excitement as the season progressed.
“We played too many teams that weren’t near conference level. Thus, we weren’t completely ready for the conference matches,” he said. “This year, I adjusted our schedule in order to play better teams in the preseason for better preparation.”
Gill added on the differences, saying it is something new that most of the team wasn’t used to doing, but added that this was just one thing that interfered with their season. Gill said that about half of the team was new to college and that the conference was a challenge.
“The fact that most of us were freshmen had an impact,” Gill said. “We weren’t experienced; our coach wanted certain things, but we weren’t prepared for them as freshmen.”
Flax is aware that some of last year’s struggles were a result of the lack of experience, but very much like his players, he is confident that the maturity of the players will make a difference. Flax also highlights that even though the team sometimes struggled to win, the players made a lot of improvements during the season, as a team and as individuals. For him, it is a spot of light looking forward.
Latorre and Gill mentioned that their physical ability wasn’t at best either, but they continued to focus on the mental side of the matches and their mental preparation.
“We got too used to losing games and to accept that,” Latorre said. “Not that we liked that, but we couldn’t find a way to turn things around.”
Gill agreed and said the team mentality was often too negative before matches.
“We started talking about how the other team is better than us on paper already on the way to the match; once that was the case, it was hard for us to rebuild the motivation that is required for winning,” she said.
Mental struggles can affect an athlete’s ability to perfom, but they can also lead to personal growth. This year, Latorre and Gill are optimistic that it will be different, and they are ready to embrace the challenge with open arms and make this season one to remember.
Gill and Latorre said that after the tough season ended, the team had a fruitful discussion with coach Flax about what went wrong, and they feel confident with the team’s ability to create an even more cooperative environment for the upcoming season. In addition, they assure that everyone on the team, now more experienced, will assist the two newcomers, Suzana Faucz and Janae Montoya, in adjusting to the new place quickly enough to avoid many of the obstacles they have faced.
“Communication is key,” Flax said. “I always encourage my players to talk to me and bring up issues. A team has to communicate to improve”
Flax also spoke about the new players on the team, and he is excited with how quickly they seem to adjust to the collegiate level.
The conversation ended on a positive note, and the team looks forward to the next season.
“We had some close games last year,” Gill said. “So we know that we are on that level and ready to win.”
FHSU will start its season on September 6, traveling to Lindsborg to play in the Bethany College Invitational. From there, they will have an eight-match stretch over one month before focusing on training again until after the Christmas break.
“We can’t predict what will happen in the future, but we are definitely better and ready to win,” Flax said.
Latorre agrees.
“If we believe we can achieve something, we can achieve it,” she said. “And this year, we believe.”