By MAYAN PAZ
Tiger Media Network
As the new semester begins, the Fort Hays State University tennis team is preparing for the upcoming year, and the team looks quite different from the previous season. Two of the team leaders last season, Irina Alfonso and Suzana Faucz, are no longer competing. While Alfonso is still part of the program as a student assistant, Fuacz returned home to Brazil for personal reasons.
For the players on the team, this is an opportunity to overtake the top spots of the roster and become leaders on the team. Some veterans who may have been playing from lower spots in the past know they can develop into new positions, and they are ready to lead the team to success.
After only the second practice session of the season, juniors Ines Latorre and Bethan Gill, and senior Ines Steeman, spoke about the changes and the opportunities they have.
“It’s exciting, for sure,” Latorre said. “It gives us motivation to fill those spots. But we’re also happy with the newcomers this year. I feel like we’re going to complement each other pretty well, and we’re excited to see how the team does overall.”
Gill and Steeman spoke about the responsibilities they have acquired as experienced players on the team.
“I feel like my freshman year was only yesterday,” Gil said., “So I feel like now being a junior and being one of the oldest on the team, really gives you that incentive to be more responsible and mature and to help bring the team together. [It is] more like seeing how it was with the older people when we first came in, and now we’re the older people. It just makes me feel more responsible.”
“We’re all very excited to guide the new people and see how to help them integrate into our team. We’re excited for the new season and to prepare with them,” Steeman added.
The newcomers consist of two international transfers from junior colleges: Diana Souza from Brazil and Aggeliki Efthimiou from Greece. FHSU also added a pair of twins from Andover – Elizabeth and Molly Gladdis. Molly Gaddis is the 5A state champion and was the No. 5 overall recruit in the state of Kansas last year. She is expected to become one of the top players for the program.
Latorre said that the competition for the top spots is going to be fierce, as everyone is motivated to become the team’s leader. However, the players emphasized that the competition is in good spirits, and by pushing each other to the limit, they believe that the team will improve.
This year, the team has two new assistant coaches to help head coach Brian Flax. Alfonso, who graduated from FHSU just last year, and Vova Zakharov. Zakharov, a former DI player from Ukraine who played for Oral Roberts and Tulsa in his collegiate career. According to Steeman, Zakharov brings new energy to the team.
“I think he’s bringing a lot of experience with him, and he’s also bringing some freshness to the team, like different drills to get us prepared for the pre-season and to be able to play against each other,” she said. “So that is exciting.”
Latorre and Gill added they are excited about the team’s prospects this season, and yet, there is some work to be done.
“We do need to improve, but most of it is getting used to how each other plays, for doubles, especially, and then the weather and the heat and everything require adjustments too. But I’m excited,” Gill said.
FHSU tennis will kick off the fall season at the Bethany College Tournament, September 5-6.