Roster:
Trevor Stoimenoff – Senior
Gabrielle Petrelli – Senior
Alasdair McClintic – Junior
Maalik Konop DeFreitas – Junior
Liana Korber – Junior
Nisha Bhuva – Sophomore
Julia Yeam – Sophomore
Kaylin Dong – Freshman
Teams defeated this season: University of Michigan, University of Pittsburgh, University of Pennsylvania, Marquette University, University of Tennessee, DePaul 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?
One of my childhood friends who was a year ahead of me in school played for the Grand Valley State University Club Tennis team. When I chose Northwestern, she knew that I was thinking about quitting tennis altogether, but she described how fun and competitive club tennis was, so I decided to give it a shot. Traveling to tournaments my freshman year made me realize how much I missed competitive tennis, and the social and friendly aspect of TOC drive me to pursue a leadership role within our organization. Being a TOC captain has been the best part of my college career. It has allowed me to continue playing the sport I love, but more importantly, it has given me the chance to meet so many new people and develop friendships that I know will extend beyond TOC.
Q: How did you enjoy your National Championships experience last year?
Last year was the first year that any of us had been in Cary, so we were excited to experience North Carolina for the first time. The year before, we had gotten 46th place, so we came in with the mindset that we were just going to try our best and have fun. Securing a spot in the silver bracket and getting 20th place made our experience that much better.
Q: What does it mean to be back? Was it a more difficult road to return to Nationals?
This year, my Co-President Gabby and I are seniors, so we were extremely motivated to make Nationals again. 2 years ago, we were awarded an extra bid for the Midwest section, and last year, we were awarded the Midwest Sportsmanship award which came with a Nationals bid. That made us even more determined to win one of the at-large bids for this year’s Nationals. The Midwest section was extremely tough this year, so when we qualified, we were extremely excited and relieved to have finally made it.
Q: In what ways has your team improved this year?
We are a much more well-rounded team this year, and after our showing at Nationals last year, we have more confidence as a team that we can compete with the top schools. We have also made an effort to practice more often and more consistently, and this has showed on the court.
Q: What do you tell new players about Nationals, or players that are traveling for the first time to compete for your school?
We always tell our first time Nationals players how much fun the event is, and how cool it is to meet and watch the other teams from across the nation, but at the same time, how competitive it is.
Q: Who was your toughest opponent at past Nationals and how did they challenge you to become better?
Last year, we encountered UCLA in pool play, who ended up being one of the best teams in the event. They mopped the floor with us, but they were also an incredibly nice and sportsmanlike team, so they really showed us what it means to be a great team on and off the court.
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?
Northwestern Club Tennis has a Twitter and Facebook account that we use to keep all of our members and followers up to date on our matches. We also consistently interact with the Midwest TOC social media team, giving us much more exposure to the tennis world.
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. They are both interested in tennis leagues after school, and would be interested in learning more.
Share with us a funny story about the 2015 team or team member(s).
In January, we organized a quad with Michigan, Marquette and Chicago on the day of a Kygo concert. After our matches, our team and Marquette met up in the city to go to the concert, and when we got there, Kelsey from Marquette had forgotten her ID. Her teammate Kyran ran over a mile back to the hotel, grabbed her ID, and ran all the way back in time for the concert, and we all had a great time.
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?
One thing that we are very proud of is how we have increased participation vastly from three years ago. We used to have almost no players return from one year to the next, but now, almost every player returns, and we have high participation rates throughout the year. We’ve tried very hard to make sure everybody is included in the team’s activities, and it has shown over the past few years.
