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Mountaineers Close Fall Season on a Good Note
October 28, 2015 01:03 PM | Tennis
Throughout the year, sophomore Carolina Lewis will share her thoughts on the 2015-16 women’s tennis season, what it’s like being a Division I student-athlete at West Virginia and what makes being a Mountaineer so special.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The past couple of months were extremely busy for our team. We competed almost every weekend, which was physically and mentally draining for all of us.
Staying motivated for new competition each week was tough, but with the advantage of playing on a team, we were able to pick each other up. During the spring, we travel a lot more and the matches are tougher, so we have to be able to stay focused and not burn ourselves out. The fall season was a good mental test for the upcoming spring season.
We began the fall season at the William & Mary Invitational in Williamsburg, Virginia. We faced a lot of solid teams, so we had to be ready to compete from the get-go. With that said, I was fairly nervous with it being my first day back on the court. The last time I played a real match was over the summer, and I wasn’t sure what to expect from myself or my opponent. I did not execute the way I hoped for, but as the tournament progressed, I was able to fall back into a routine and win the next couple matches.
Next up was the Pink Invitational at home on Sept. 25-27. That tournament is always exciting, because I love playing on our home courts. I played decent tennis at home, but I was not entirely happy. My play was too defensive, and I was very weak mentally. My coaches stressed that to me. In order for my play to progress, I had to accept the changes and embrace the challenge at hand. From there on out, I set a goal for myself, not only to improve my overall game, but my overall mental strength.
The following weekend our team traveled to Akron, Ohio. At Akron, I saw an improvement in my mental strength. It was important for me to change my attitude quickly because the ITA Atlantic Regionals were coming soon. The regional tournament is where all the universities in the Mid-Atlantic region send their top student-athletes to compete. The five-day event was held at Liberty.
The atmosphere of the tournament was different from any other college tournament I have played in so far. There were so many student-athletes from all over the region partaking in the same event that it almost felt like a junior tournament. Yes, I do miss playing in junior tournaments, but I gained a lot of experience from the ITA Atlantic Regionals, and I look forward to playing a lot better in singles and doubles action next season.
Sophomore Carolina Lewis and freshman Abigail Rosiello pose for a photo after completing their final matches of the fall season.
Finally, we concluded our fall season at home with the annual Martha Thorn Invitational against James Madison and Duquesne. Throughout the weekend, Habiba Shaker and I played solid doubles, dropping one out of three matches. Kaja Mrgole and Hailey Barrett also played well in singles action, capturing victories against the James Madison and Duquesne Dukes.
With the fall season coming to an end, it gives our team time to reflect and work hard for the upcoming spring season. With hard work and dedication, we will be ready to take on Pittsburgh in our first dual match of the 2016 season. The fall season was a time for us to focus on specific areas of everyone’s game that needed to seek improvement. We are excited for the intensity of the spring season, and we want to bring success back to this program! Until next time folks!
LET’S GO MOUNTAINEERS!
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