The Observer sat down with women’s tennis captain Lauren Kaczmarek to discuss the women’s tennis team’s season and goals.
1. What are some season goals for the team?
“As a team, we have set multiple ambitious goals, especially after coming off of a successful season last year. Last year, we were able to win our spring conference championship for the first time in 18 years, allowing us to qualify for the NCAA tournament – a huge accomplishment that we will look to repeat again this year.”
2. Who has been the team’s toughest opponent and why?
“This season has been challenging as we’ve faced many regionally ranked teams. Playing these teams is good for us, as it gives us practice against tough competition but also the opportunity to beat teams that are seeded ahead of us. For example, both Coe and Kalamazoo were ranked regionally higher than us, but after we played both teams and beat them, we were able to up our ranking.”
3. What it’s like to have somewhat of a split season with games in the fall and spring?
“Having both fall and spring seasons means that there really is no off-season for us. Sure, we get a break during winter term, but we’re still in the weight room and hitting inside on our own. This can be a challenge since we’re playing all year but is also fun as we’re together as a team all year.”
4. As a senior, what has Augustana tennis taught you about yourself?
“Being on the Augustana tennis team for the past four years has taught me more than I could have thought it would. The biggest thing that it taught me would be selflessness. Although tennis may be seen as an individual sport by some, I can truly say with full confidence that every single one of the players on this team does not necessarily play for themselves but for each other. We don’t achieve success and failure individually but together. I don’t think many other collegiate tennis teams can say this about themselves.”
5. What’s one thing the Augustana community doesn’t know about the women’s tennis team?
“One thing that Augustana does not know about the women’s tennis team would be how close we are. We go through workouts, practices, long van rides, matches, tournaments everything together year round. One thing I love about our team is that you can always hear someone cheering “Go Augie!” We want everyone to succeed so that we can succeed as a whole.”