The Hamline men’s and women’s tennis teams defeated University of Minnesota Morris on March 5 at the University of Minnesota Baseline Tennis Center. The men claimed 8 out of 9 matches, while the women were victorious in all 9, bumping up the current men’s record to 5-2 and the women’s to 3-3. With this early win for the Pipers, the team hopes to improve their record from last year and continue rising to the challenge all the way into April when conference play becomes important.

“Today I think I did a good job, I was hitting the ball well, and in doubles my partner [Ben Kilmek] was too,” Sophomore Matt Seracki said after his matches. “The whole team has been practicing really hard so to do well is nice.”

Senior Emily Butler said, “I think I had a strong day. It was really a good day for everyone.”

Last season, the Pipers ended with the men’s record being 8-10 and the women’s 8-11. Yet, the team feels hopeful and more prepared this season to improve their record.

“Last year I felt okay coming in and then once we started playing, I got nervous. I saw how good the MIAC really is. This year though, I know what to expect a little more, so I feel prepared.” said Seracki.

Tennis in the MIAC conference is competitive, both Gustavus Adolphus and Carleton are ranked nationally. Hamline, a young team, is trying to improve each year by setting reachable goals for the season. The team agrees, they want to improve their conference record and try to win over half their matches this season.

“There’s a lot more confidence on the court,” said Junior Cody Jahrig. “Last year we had mostly freshmen and sophomores out there; this year people are playing better. Everyone understands what it takes to play at the college level.”

With this general understanding of what to expect moving forward, the team is able to unite more than ever. Despite tennis being primarily an individual sport, the team still comes together for warmups and to watch each other play. They all recognize the value in camaraderie and importance of being a close team.

“What’s really helpful in the matches is when you can hear your teammates cheering you on,” said Butler.

“Tennis isn’t your traditional team sport. Individually it’s really mental; you are in your own head most of the time, but together the team pushes each other to be better as a group,” Jahrig says, “You have to be mentally strong for yourself, but also strong for your team.”

After spring break, the competition will heat up as conference play continues and the matches become more intense. Even though the teams ahead have strong players, the Pipers are hopeful for competitive play.

“We’re doing a lot better. We worked really hard in the off season, so we can be competitive in our conference. Overall, it should be a productive season,” said Butler.

Coach Jon Henning said, “All the teams we want to compete and do well against are coming up in April, so hopefully that is when we will be at our prime.”

The women face Saint Benedict’s in Saint Cloud at 5 p.m. on Thursday. Then on Saturday, both men and women take on St. Thomas at the University of Minnesota Baseline Tennis Center at 12 p.m..