Men’s Tennis feeling sweet at home

For the first time since October, after nearly six months on the road, the sound of tennis balls bouncing on campus has returned as the Hamline University Men’s Tennis team returned home to newly renovated courts for a three-game homestand.
For the Pipers, it was nice to get back to some home cooking.
“It feels great [to be back home]. It’s kind of challenging sometimes to be so far away from your parents and the people who come to support you at all these matches, so the away atmosphere is a lot harder. Being at home makes our matches a lot easier,” first-year Cooper Johnson said.
Maintaining the good vibes, the Pipers were able to accomplish something they have not done in a long time, win against Saint John’s — for the first time in 20 years. Johnson highlighted how moments like these can motivate each player to push through things like tough matches and long practices.
“It is the first time we have beat them in 20 years. I’ll push through any practice, any sprints or any travel for a moment like that. It is all worth it when you can celebrate a big win with your teammates. It means so much,” Johnson said.
With the win against the Johnnies, the Pipers are hoping to build upon the momentum that they have created. The newly renovated courts might be a critical factor in conserving the high energy momentum.
Updated facilities play a major role in both team morale and performance. Head Coach Spencer Jones emphasized just how important these vital components can be for a team.
“We are thrilled to have our new facility. We are very grateful to our donors in the Green and Holt families and the work of Institutional Advancement to make them a reality! We have a great climate for home matches and practices.” Jones said, “We are drawing close to 100 people per home match, so that is really exciting to have tennis be part of our campus community again.”
Along with new facilities creating vital performance opportunities for the Pipers, they have also been experiencing some incredible leadership, camaraderie and dynamics.
“Everybody supports each other, which is awesome. Whether it is our guys playing number one or our guys on the bench, we all do a really good job supporting each other. I think that has made our dynamic really strong,” Johnson said.
Coach Jones also highlighted specific players who have amplified the level of leadership and competitiveness.
“Rumeal Setts has been terrific at number one singles. He and Tyler Rousslang are a potent number-one doubles team. First-years Brendon Sebring, Cooper Johnson, Matthew George and Sam Siegel have all stepped up as well. Returning [Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference All Conference] Eli Krause has also competed hard at the four singles spot,” Jones said.
With the abundance of improvements made to the courts, the Pipers are hoping it will continue to pay dividends to their success as they continue on to the rest of the season.