Roster:
Jennifer Wray – Senior
Angelina DiPaolo – Junior
Sebastian Herrera – Junior
William Burger – Junior
Malachi Price – Junior
Jeffrey Kim – Sophomore
Shannon Mukerji – Sophomore
James Schenck – Freshman
Krystyna Miles – Senior
Evan Schlick – Junior
Sadie Bronk – Freshman
Larissa Phillips – Junior
Zachary Cohen – Freshman
Teams defeated this season: UNH, UConn, Yale, Harvard, University of Miami, Wisconsin, University of Northern Florida.
Q: How did you first hear about the Tennis On Campus program What made you decide to actively take part and also become a leader on your campus? How do you feel about TOC and being a captain?
We were all lucky enough that, when we joined the team, the upperclassmen had already been competing in TOC tournaments. After our first National Championship tournament, we were blown away by the energy and excitement of the tournament that we knew we wanted to be a part of the Club Tennis team throughout our time at Dartmouth, and to eventually become captains of the team. TOC is such a great program – through it, we get to connect with other club tennis programs in our area and play this sport that we love in a competitive way.
We are amazed by how much TOC has grown as an organization these past few years, and we’re so thankful that we get to be captains of a team that gets to compete in TOC tournaments.
Q: How did you enjoy your National Championships experience last year?
We loved the National Championships last year. The energy is amazing, and it’s so great to see all these teams competing in this sport that we are all passionate about. We love traveling and spending time with our team. And since we’re coming from New Hampshire, we also love the sunny weather and the warmth of North Carolina!
Q: What does it mean to be back? Was it a more difficult road to return to Nationals?
We feel so lucky to be back. The New England Sectionals tournament was tough this year – the teams are improving so quickly, but we’re thankful that we are improving as well. We never take making Nationals for granted. It’s such an amazing opportunity that we get to be here competing among teams that are the best of the best in the country.
Q: In what ways has your team improved this year?
We have some awesome new freshmen players – every year when we hold tryouts, we are amazed by the talent that we see. As a team, we’ve been practicing more often and more intensely. We are also always willing to help each other out and hit with each other outside of scheduled practice times.
Q: What do you tell new players about Nationals, or players that are traveling for the first time to compete for your school?
We tell new players that Nationals is our all-time favorite tournament and some of our best memories of our entire college experience. The competition is unbelievable, and the energy is unreal. Plus, when we travel as a team, we get so much closer. We tell them – and we are never wrong about this – that the tournament will be the highlight of their spring and they will make unforgettable memories here.
Q: Who was your toughest opponent at past Nationals and how did they challenge you to become better?
We’ve faced so many incredible opponents. One of our toughest opponents last year was Stanford – we played them at night on the second day of the tournament, and I remember we were all tired and a little sad that we had been eliminated from the main bracket. But, we walked out onto the court and we just thought, we are so lucky to be here. Let’s just have an amazing time playing tennis and let’s play as hard as we possibly can. The match was one of the closest that we had, and even though Stanford narrowly beat us, I think we learned an important lesson in how we should keep our morale and energy up in every single match.
Q: Does your team actively use social media to stay connected? If so, what social media platforms are your favorites? Does your team use social media in any special way that you feel sets you apart from other teams?
We definitely use social media to stay connected. As a team, we have a Facebook page and a Facebook group. Individually, we use virtually everything – Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and Twitter. We don’t necessarily use social media in a unique way – we will update our Facebook page to keep our friends and family updated with how we’ve been doing as a team.
Q: Do you have many seniors on your team? Do you think they know about opportunities after graduation like “Sets in the City” or young adult social leagues? Do you think anyone on your team would be interested in starting one?
We have two seniors on the team. I (speaking as a senior) didn’t know there were young adult social leagues, but I would love to be a part of one or start one when I graduate. I’m always looking for ways to keep playing tennis competitively.
Share with us some of the ways you help out in the local and global communities in the name of tennis.
We try to raise money and publicity for causes that we support. The other weekend, we traveled to Boston to compete in Northeastern’s Midnight Madness Tournament, which was raising money for the Boston Police Tennis Program. The program teaches at-risk children from the ages of 5 to 18 how to play tennis, which contributes to the development of other life skills for them. As a team, we helped fundraise and raise awareness for this cause that we wholeheartedly support.
Share with us a funny story about the 2015 team or team member(s).
We were driving to Sectionals last year and we stopped at a Panera to get dinner. When we tried to get back into the car, we started panicking because the car would not unlock. We tried everything – the key was completely dead. Just as we were ready to call a tow truck, Jeff started tapping me and saying, “Jen, this isn’t our car! There’s a car seat in the backseat!” Sure enough, our car was parked a few rows over, and the lights were flashing furiously from us pressing the unlock button on the keys so much… Luckily the real car owners didn’t see us attempting to break into their car.
If a local newspaper was to write a story about your team what is the one thing you’d want to make sure they included?
We would want them to include that the absolute best part about our team is how close-knit we are. We love to play tennis, but we also love to hang out with each other. We have met some of our best friends through the team, and even though we are all very different personalities, our one common interest and love for tennis has made us so close.
