According to head women’s tennis coach Dawn Buth, the team has one goal: to be the hardest-working and mentally toughest team in the Atlantic 10 Conference.
And with a roster of all returning players, the Colonials are well on their way to succeeding despite a challenging schedule.
“We are proud to be a veteran team,” said Ms. Buth. “We have an incredible core of experienced, positive and unified team members who are also exceptional representatives of GW and their sport.”
The seven-member team, currently 6-4, is facing a competitive conference schedule, including top opponents Temple University, Xavier University and reigning A-10 champion University of Richmond. The Colonials lost to Richmond 5-2 at the Mount Vernon Tennis Center last Thursday.
“Our success in surpassing our preseason ranking of third will be dependent upon our ability to consistently execute and problem solve throughout each match, across our line-up and from one match to the next,” said Ms. Buth.
Another challenge facing the Colonials this season is injuries, which have forced several players to move up in the line-up.
“Because each player faces tougher competition, team members have to take personal accountability for their role in the team’s success,” said Ms. Buth. “Tennis is a game of inches so this means we have to be the team that chases down every ball and mentally competes for each and every point.”
Senior Jacqueline Corba, named to last year’s A-10 All-Conference first team, said the experience of this year’s team gives them an edge over their opponents.
“Every member of the team has played in at least one prior A-10 tournament so I think this will give us a huge advantage,” she said.
The Colonials work on their mental toughness during their practices, held five days a week at the Mount Vernon Tennis Center. Team members run drills, study video and work on their individual games as well. During the fall, Ms. Buth said each player read Matthew Syed’s “Bounce: How Champions Are Made”—which describes how the world’s top athletes achieve their best —so practices are now “loud, engaging and focused.”
The team ends practices with an hour of strength and conditioning with Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach Brooke Robertson, which Ms. Buth said has helped team members maximize their fitness to “match the specific needs and demands of our sport.”
Ms. Corba said the team has also focused on doubles play and has won a majority of its doubles matches so far this season, which she said is a “huge improvement” from past seasons.
Sophomore Leah Pascarella said she “fell in love” with the university in large part because of the competitive —but positive—dynamic of the women’s tennis team.
“I loved that I would be able to play tennis in a competitive conference while pursuing a career in journalism,” she said. “I could tell people genuinely loved going to school at GW, and that meant a lot to me.”
Despite the injuries, Ms. Pascarella, who was named to the A-10 All-Conference second team last season, said the team maintains a “very positive outlook” for the remainder of the regular season.
“Everyone is working really hard at practice and we are all working toward the same goal,” she said.