John (Connor) Muth – Senior
Madeline Carney – Senior
Clayton (CJ) Armbrust – Junior
Kelsey Chin – Junior
Mallory Wanserski – Sophomore
Kyran Young – Freshman
Joseph O’Connor – Freshman
Teams defeated this season: Northwestern University, Michigan State University, Indiana University, University of Illinois-Chicago, Central Michigan University, University of Chicago, DePaul University, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee and Butler University.
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?
I first heard about the Tennis On Campus Program when I was asked to play by our former captain, three years ago. I began to play and travel with the team to a variety of tournaments and I really enjoyed the TOC atmosphere. I was asked to sit on the E-Board as treasurer that first year, a responsibility which I still hold today, as well as being a co-captain of our team. TOC has been a lot of fun as I have met a lot of great people and great players during the three years that I have played on our club team.
Q: How did you enjoy your National Championships experience last year?
Our team is excited to be back in the National Championship again this year. Most of our team has seen both tournament sites (in Surprise, Ariz. and Cary, N.C.) as we have qualified for Nationals the past few years. We enjoyed the change of venue to North Carolina and enjoyed meeting new teams and making new friends throughout the tournament.
Q: What does it mean to be back? Was it a more difficult road to return to Nationals?
It means a lot to be back in the tournament this year. Our team worked hard all throughout the fall semester with the goal of competing at Nationals again this year. Although we placed third in the Midwest Section Tournament, we had to bring our best in every match, including winning an overtime match to take third. Despite the battle, we had a lot of fun this year and enjoyed spending time on the road with one another.
Q: In what ways has your team improved this year?
One of our seniors graduated last year and one of our former captains is studying abroad in South Africa, however, we have added two new freshmen to the roster that have played well all year. Last year, three out of our four guys were on the same high school state championship tennis team, and even though one senior graduated, that statistic remains unchanged as one of our new freshman attended the same high school.
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 them that Nationals is the best part of the entire season. We obviously want to play hard and win, but we also want to enjoy our time in Cary, N.C., and have a fun time with all the other teams there. Nationals is a great way to finish out the academic school year in April, as it is an absolute blast.
Q: Who was your toughest opponent at past Nationals and how did they challenge you to become better?
We had a tough match against the University of Georgia last year in the first round. We had a slow start due to the extreme rain delay at 8 a.m. on Thursday. As tough as it was to lose in the first round, we became good friends with the UGA club team throughout the rest of the weekend and we are looking forward to seeing them again in April.
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 do use social media to stay connected. We have a Facebook page for our team, and we also have a Twitter account. We use our Facebook page to figure out fun social activities after practice, such as going as a team to Kopps (a local custard and burgers shop).
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 our team this year—Connor and Madeline. Madeline will be going into Marquette’s Dental School next year, so she will hopefully have time to still play with us next year. As for Connor, he will be graduating and working for BNP Paribas in New York City next year. I am sure that they are both aware of young adult social leagues once they graduate.
Share with us some of the ways you help out in the local and global communities in the name of tennis.
In addition to practicing as a whole team three days a week, Marquette University strongly stresses the Jesuit ideals of service work and giving back to the community. Last year, we participated in a Make-A-Difference day event in the city of Milwaukee. Additionally, a significant portion of our players give back to the community in a variety of ways, such as tutoring for underprivileged children, helping the elderly, or making the city of Milwaukee a cleaner and safer place.
Share with us a funny story about the 2015 team or team member(s).
Our only senior last year purposefully held off on taking a few classes just so he could stay for a full fifth year and continue to play club tennis because he enjoyed it so much. We thought that it was great that he was that devoted to the sport of tennis, as he really pushed all of us to be better tennis players.
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?
Despite being a small private university, we continue to rival large state schools such as the University of Michigan or the University of Wisconsin Madison. Additionally, I would note that three of the four guys on our traveling roster all attended the same high school and played on the same state championship team together.
