Roster:
Frank Matula – Sophomore
Jacob Tate – Sophomore
Trina Schreck – Senior
Robert Ehrlich – Senior
Zachary Defrancis – Senior
Terina Terlizzi – Freshman
Tyler Hansford – Junior
Drew Anderson – Sophomore
Kelli Creel – Junior
Teams defeated this season: Texas A&M, Lone Star College – Cy Fair, Lone Star College – Montgomery, Houston Community College, West Texas A&M, Rice, San Angelo State University, Southern Methodist University, Lee College.
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?
As a freshman, I attended a meeting with other students, the varsity coaches and a USTA Representative. In the meeting, we resurrected Lamar’s tennis club and learned about TOC. The core group from that meeting got the ball rolling pretty quickly and got us in a good position. From the start, I didn’t do much with the club other than attend practices and go to tournaments, but in the middle of my sophomore year I took on the position of president and have held the same position ever since.
I took on the job because I knew that our club could be doing more on the courts and in our community and I thought that I was the person who could help to get us to the next level. Overall, I really enjoy TOC. It has given me the opportunity to continue playing tennis at a high level against others at my school and across the country. Being a captain is definitely a difficult and typically thankless job, but the intrinsic reward of leading a team and accomplishing great things definitely makes it worth it.
Q: How did you enjoy your National Championships experience last year?
It was such a unique and fun experience to get to play against teams from all corners of the country. The level of play was very high and we weren’t quite prepared for it, but nonetheless we had a good time in Cary last year.
Q: What does it mean to be back? Was it a more difficult road to return to Nationals?
To the whole team, it means a lot to make it back to nationals. Last year, we received an automatic bid because we won our section’s club of the year award. I feel that a lot of people overlooked us because we didn’t “earn” our bid in a traditional way. This year, we received the club of the year bid again, but we also performed really well at our sectional tournament, finishing 14th out of 58 total teams. We feel that others will now see that we belong here just as much as any other team. On top of this, we didn’t perform as well as we could have last year, so we are all gracious for the opportunity to return to Cary and perform better.
As for our road to nationals, it was especially difficult. We knew that if we wanted to make it back, we would need to either improve enough on the court to knock out the top teams and finish in the top three, or we would need to improve our outreach and overall operations and win the club of the year again. We made improvements all around, but we weren’t able to finish in the top 3. Luckily, we got club of the year again because of our outstanding community outreach, improvement on the court, and other activities.
Q: In what ways has your team improved this year?
The team has made many noticeable improvements since last year. After nationals, many of us knew that we needed to work harder on the courts to be able to play at a higher level. Over the summer, many of us got coaches, played league, or coached beginners. All of this, along with more practice time during the semester, has led to marked improvements for all players. This year, we have also made a point to play more tournaments so we can get more competition from other schools, which has also led to improvements. Lastly, we were able to pick up a few quality players who were quickly competing for top spots on the team. All of this together has led to one of the best seasons we have ever had.
Q: What do you tell new players about Nationals, or players that are traveling for the first time to compete for your school?
I think that the biggest thing I would tell a new TOC player is to have fun. This is not high level D1 varsity tennis. We don’t spend four, five, six hours a day on the courts, so there is no need to get incredibly serious about competition, winning, or losing. One of the best things about TOC is that you don’t have to take it that seriously. You can have fun, talk to others, listen to music, and play some great, relaxed tennis. Some people still miss this point at times, but, in my opinion, that’s what TOC is all about. Having a good time.
Q: Who was your toughest opponent at past Nationals and how did they challenge you to become better?
To be honest, everyone at Nationals was a tough opponent for us last year! Probably our toughest match was our first one, against UNC. They were a very solid team all around, so they handled us pretty easily. Up until that time, it was the best team we had ever played against hands down. It kind of showed us how good club tennis players can really be and that we too could possibly make it up to that level. It is definitely a match that sticks with us to this day.
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?
Yes, we use our Facebook group (Lamar Club Tennis) heavily to get out the word on practice times, cancellations, events, and other activities. It’s kind of our one stop place for all info on the club. Other than that, we all interact through Instagram with photos of recent events and tournaments. We also use GroupMe to help with ease of communication. I don’t think we really do anything outside of the box, but our Facebook group is a very valuable tool in getting messages out to the group and our university.
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?
Currently, we have two seniors who are set to graduate in May, and a few more set to graduate next year. Back in Beaumont, we currently don’t have a social like “Sets in the City,” but I know that our local CTA and tennis center will hopefully have something like that soon. We all know of the rotating doubles leagues and monthly mixers held at the local tennis center though. We always have a great turnout, usually more than a dozen players a year, in various USTA Leagues in the city. Personally, I have looked into starting a young adult social league. In various CTA meetings, I have tossed around ideas on how it could be done so hopefully we can get something started soon.
Share with us some of the ways you help out in the local & global communities in the name of tennis.
For our tennis club, giving back to our tennis community is of the utmost importance. Nearly every month, we have a local tournament or tennis-related event were we volunteer our time so we can help the event run smoothly and interact with the community that supports us. We help with youth-oriented tennis events and we try our best to reach out to high schools to let them know about the opportunities in our area. It is hard work, but always rewarding.
Share with us a funny story about the 2015-2016 team or team member(s).
In my opinion, one of the funniest moments of this season happened at our sectional tournament. We were playing Texas A&M’s No. 1 team in the first round of the gold bracket, and they were winning the men’s doubles line fairly easily. On the last point of the set, one of our players, Jacob, hit an ill-advised lob that landed just over the net. Thinking quickly, Jacob yells “overhead drill” and our guys and the guys from A&M begin a very leisurely lob/overhead drill. It was hilarious, because the whole match was a struggle and it was funny to have a light-hearted break in the action. Ultimately, A&M won that final point, but everyone on the sideline had a good laugh about Jacob’s mid-point drill. It was a good distraction from a tough match.
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?
Well, our school has actually written several press releases on us the last couple of years and one of the favorite things that I like that they mention is our connection with our school and tennis communities. It’s also great when they mention how diverse our club is in terms of skill. We welcome everyone from beginners to former varsity players, the 18-year-old freshman to the 35-year-old who is trying to get another degree. We welcome them all and find them a place in our little community where they can fit in and have fun.
