JACK HOADLEY
Sports Editor
Andrew Volpe on the tennis court. Photo by |TRAVIS BERNHARD
Imagine everything you already do throughout your day as a college student or think back to how busy you were in college.
Now imagine if you had to factor in being a coach on a collegiate tennis team into that schedule, all while planning your post-graduation plans.
That is the life of Fredonia senior Andrew Volpe, who has taken a unique route to fill up his Fall schedule before he graduates in the winter.
Volpe began studying at Fredonia in the Spring of 2024, so by the time he became an assistant coach, he had plenty of experience on campus.
He began his position in the Fall of 2025, giving him more than enough time on campus to be a valuable resource for new members of the team.
Volpe was vocal about how he sees himself more as a resource than anything else, emphasizing that no one on the team needs to be taught.
He believes his role was a great opportunity to “meet more people and to give some guidance to new players.”
It is an interesting crux between peer and coach that Volpe occupies, but he believes the even level allows support to go both ways.
Volpe, who is also president of Fredonia’s Club Tennis team, has seen players from the varsity team support him at the club matches occasionally.
It is clear that the presence of someone viewed as a peer on the coaching staff has been valuable to both Volpe and the team.
Volpe’s actual role comes from being an experienced tennis player in his own right, as he matches up against players often to give them someone competent to go against.
This simulates a match day experience which is needed for a sport like tennis, which Volpe describes as mostly mental.
“You can go out there with all the tools in your toolbox, but if you don’t want to win, you aren’t going to.”
In particular, Volpe says that grit and a drive for success are key parts of being part of a collegiate team, especially with a shorter season.
The team has seven matches remaining, needing at least two conference wins to secure a spot in SUNYACS before the season ends.
Volpe has a number of interests that make him a strong assistant coach for the tennis team, and most of his free time is dedicated to sports and activities.
Volpe is a huge participant of Intramurals, as well as the president of the Spike Ball Club here at Fredonia.
His devotion to athletics and competition makes him an ideal candidate to coach or assist any team, but especially considering his aptitude for tennis.
Volpe also has a job on campus as a tour guide, where he can familiarize new students and himself with the campus.
This helps, as Volpe believes that working as a tour guide allows for connecting with new people or new players much more easily.
Throughout his time with the team, Volpe said his proudest moment came when the team collected a big win against Houghton earlier this season.
“It was a big win. We have a strong team this season, a lot of returning players…it was great to see improvement over the past year, especially culminating in a win like that.”
The team, as previously mentioned, has put itself in a strong spot to make the SUNYACS and beyond this season.
As Volpe’s time at Fredonia and with the team comes to a close, he hopes to see a successful push late in the postseason.
The team will travel to play St. John Fisher and Plattsburgh before returning home Wednesday, Sept. 23 to play Penn St. Behrend.
Please join Volpe in supporting the team during this match and for the rest of the season as they zero in on a SUNYAC appearance for the first time since the Spring of 2021.