Will Hermens
The men’s tennis team returns 10 letterwinners from last season’s team after finishing third in the conference championships last spring.
“We want to get better every day,” head coach Carl Swanson said.
The two incoming freshmen, Walt James and Ward van Mens, who Swanson said will contribute to the team immediately, complement a team that is mostly intact from last season. Compared with previous seasons, the team has fortified its depth chart while gaining experience from early spring matches.
“The biggest challenge will be maintaining balance between high intensity and calm and confident,” Swanson said.
Swanson he believes the team can make a strong run in the conference this season, and team goals for the season include winning the conference title (something the Wildcats last accomplished in 2002), playing at the NCAA tournament and the ultimate goal of winning a national championship.
“We have to maintain a high sense of balance in high-pressure moments,” Swanson said.
Five seniors will give the Wildcats an abundance of experience, led by all-conference performer and senior Nick Ruess. After being selected to the first-team last spring, Ruess will play as the top singles and doubles player.
Linfield also features second-team performer junior Kyle Anderson, who has plenty of experience in major matches against top players in the conference.
“Every year is different; I coach each team differently. There will be more emphasis on physical fitness,” Swanson said about his coaching style this season.
The team has the experience and fundamentals to have a successful season, and Swanson quickly points to physical fitness as the key element for a long postseason run. Outside of teaching tennis fundamentals, Swanson will work to build the team’s physical fitness during the early and late stages of the season.
“I don’t have to coach as much teaching strokes,” Swanson said.
The team began the season with an early morning and an afternoon match Feb 14 against conference opponents Pacific Lutheran University and Puget Sound University. The team prevailed over Pacific Lutheran 6-3, with matches starting at 9:30 p.m. Linfield won five of six singles matches and one of three doubles matches. In the afternoon session, the Wildcats dominated Puget Sound, 8-1. Linfield swept the double matches, losing one singles match.
“Every year we want to play a high percentage of smart, aggressive tennis,” Swanson said.
After winning two conference matches last week, the men’s tennis team will begin the journey toward a conference championship. The team sits atop the conference standings, tied with Whitman College, the defending conference champion, and Pacific University. The team will also travel to Texas for three matches in late March, a break in the middle of conference play this season.
The team swings back into action Feb 20 at 3:30 p.m. and Feb. 21 at 1 p.m. at Lewis and Clark College and Willamette University.