By: Will Harper, staff writer
Both Wofford’s men’s and women’s teams are playing extremely well to start their seasons off. The women are sitting at 8-1 while the men are currently 7-2. Both teams are about to start in conference play, and neither are the least bit scared.
Coach Rod Ray of the men’s team feels strongly about his players, and said that the main focus of the team is to keep their collective spirit high.
“The major focus is enthusiasm. Today is Feb. 22, and we are so much better than we were on Jan. 22. A lot of that improvement stems from the fact that we have momentum, and we’re having a great time together. … We’re playing like we have nothing to lose.”
The stats indicate just what Ray said: as for individual matches, the team is sitting at 40-10, and every single player on the roster is sitting well above winning more than half of their matches. Outstanding individual performances have been seen this year by the fifth seated Kyle Barr (7-1), second seated Julian Chousa (6-2) and first seated Lucas Cerbelli (6-2), who has played the top ranked player on the opposing teams all year.
The women’s team is also playing extremely well. Coach Krissy Hall is ecstatic with how the season has been shaping up, saying, “I’m really excited with how the season has started off. Obviously starting 8-1 is pretty incredible, and I’m really proud of the girls with all of the work they have been putting in, and how it’s been carrying over into match play.”
The women, like the men, are dominating their opponents on the individual level, sitting at 40-14 for the season. Girls who have been particularly successful are third seated Lauren Reid (7-2), first seated Cassidy Hicks (7-2), and second seated Jenna Vroman (8-1).
Both teams look for support from the Wofford community, and Ray is adamant in encouraging more people to come and watch the teams play. With both teams as strong as they are, he guarantees that the spectators will not be disappointed with what they’d see. The next home event for the men is against the Naval Academy on March 16 against Lipscomb University, while for the women it is March 18 against Davidson.
