RYAN DUNNING
Special To The Leader
This past week, the tennis courts received a makeover. New windshields were put up, depicting some of the best moments and athletes from Fredonia Athletics.
It’s only fitting that the courts were chosen for this memorial after the record breaking season they had.
The women’s tennis team finished 12-4 after a semi-finals loss to New Paltz on Oct. 13. This win total was a new school record.
But, this is only the final result of a season that saw the fall of many career and individual records for singles and doubles.
From the beginning, the team knew that it was going to be a special season.
“During pre-season it was pretty evident that we were going to have a stellar lineup,” said sophomore Taylor Marelli.
“We had two freshmen join us who are great tennis players, and I was also playing for the first time after missing last year due to injury.”
On top of this, the team had a new coach. Head coach Matt Johnson graduated from Berry College earlier this year and was given the job here at Fredonia.
“I was fortunate to inherit a talented set of women this year,” said Johnson. “My success as a coach was a product of their willingness to move out of their comfort zone and adopt new strategies and tactics.”
All of this meshed well for the Devils. They began the season on an eight game tear, blowing by the sorts of Brockport, Alfred and Penn State Behrend with ease.
Their schedule got tougher from there, with matchups against top ranked teams Geneseo and New Paltz among the remaining matches.
The ladies were excited for the chance to step up their game, however.
“Not only were we expecting to keep up with these teams, but we thought we had a good chance of winning as well,” said Marelli.
The team had been primed for a huge season for some time. In 2016 and 2017, the Devils finished 10-3.
What can we expect next year? Coach Johnson says nothing but more improvement.
“After receiving a berth into the SUNYAC tournament, the team is starting to realize that they are a contender in the SUNYAC,” said Johnson.
“I hope that the team’s past success will give them the confidence to improve their conference record and clinch the number two or three seed next season.”