Augustana women’s tennis is off to a great start this year with a record of 14-4 and 8-0 in conference play. They are coming off of a couple losses, so they will attempt to pick it back up in a series of matches, one being against Cornell at home.
The preparations for the match against Cornell fall in line with the ones that have been taken so far this year.
Junior Madeline Lombardi went into detail about these preparations.
“Just like for preparation for every match, we have been practicing indoors and outdoors every day, with some lifting mixed into each week. We have also been trying some new doubles drills to improve our doubles skills as best we can.”
Head Coach Jon Miedema also had things to say heading into this match.
“Our goal right now isn’t in preparation for a particular team but simply to get better each day. Our goal is to stay focused during matches and work through the ups and downs. If we do that we’re going to be in a position to win a lot of matches no matter the opponent.”
With these preparations already leading them to a good start to the year, hopefully, the trend will continue.
The success the girls are seeing might be surprising to some because of how young the team is as a whole. Madeline Lombardi has seen the growth and improvements of the underclassmen.
“Our team is quite fresh this year, but the underclassmen have definitely stepped up and proved themselves this past season, and they continue to do so this season too. I have noticed each of our new players have grown immensely both in tennis and within the team since our first week on campus to now, because of their strong work ethic and our bond as a team.”
With the team being as young as it is, the girls needed to come together quickly to have the success they are having. Madeline Lombardi also talked about the team as a whole.
“There’s not a time where we’re not laughing when we’re together, which I’d also contribute to our success as a team because it reminds us that tennis is supposed to be fun and that we need to enjoy ourselves in order to play our best. On the court, our team has a contagious energy that we each respond to positively. We all take our matches seriously and each of us are very competitive, making our bond as a team that much stronger.”
With the success the girl’s are having,  the team only continues to grow and the future looks bright for Augie women’s tennis.