BY GERALD BLACKSHEAR / VN STAFF WRITER
Despite A rough start by the Titans men’s and women’s tennis teams, hopes moving forward remain high.
The teams have started off at 0-2 and 0-3.
But with last year’s strong conference records, no one is panicking.
Both teams seem to step their game during conference season.
One challenge, though, is that the men lost four seniors to graduation: Chance Conley, Ismail Kadyroy, Patryk Koscielski and Kacper Stelmaszak.
Now all the senior leadership and responsibility will fall on Nathan Ponton.
As for the women, they lost seniors Anna Davydova and Nynke Van Der Goot.
This year’s squad will be young, with no senior leadership.
Still, said sophomore player Sara Mitrakovic, “We have good chances at making this season better than last year’s”.
The women are determined and hopeful this year.
Mitrakovic said the Titans’ strengths include “being supportive to each other on and off the court and willing to work hard every day to achieve the common goal we have.”
That support will be helpful during rough days.
The best way to overcome them was by “staying positive and to keep fighting,” she said.
Mitrakovic said she and the rest of the team are super excited to get the conference season going.
The Titans have been working hard on and off the tennis court.
In the weight room, trainers and coaches are pushing the women to their limits.
This will help them with their determination to perform stronger and better at their matches.
Their big competitors this season will include Utah State, Chicago State and Tennessee State.
They will be hosting nine matches. Five of these home games will be played on the Titan Tennis courts, and the other four will be played at the Franklin Athletic Club in Detroit.
The women will take on their Metro Series rival, the Oakland Grizzlies, on April 14 at the Franklin Athletic Club.
The men’s team will be playing eight home games. Four will be on campus and four at the Franklin.
