Whitman is home to two new All-Americans. On Monday, Sep. 29, sophomore Elise Otto won the singles draw in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s Pacific Northwest Fall Championships in Salem, Ore., then claimed the doubles title with senior Katie Oost. Otto and Oost advance to the ITA National Small College Championships starting Thursday, Oct. 16.
“I’m really excited about how well I played and about the chance to see how I match up at nationals. The tournament was really a battle, being nervous as the number one seed, but if anything, I’m going to be more confident going into the season,” Otto said.
The Fall Championships is an individual tournament, but still gives players a chance to assess themselves as a team heading into the regular season in the spring. The tournament gave all players on the roster playing time and was also new coach John Hein’s first competition with the team.
“For me as a first-year coach, getting the chance to be on the court with everybody is really exciting. [The fall season] helps me compare how players play versus how they practice, and how people work together in doubles matches. It sets a foundation for what we need to do between now and February,” Hein said.
This fall, the team is preparing to improve on its third place finish in the Northwest Conference last season.
“It is one thing to have good strokes and good technique, but we also have to bite down, be competitive and win matches. In order to prepare for this, we are increasing the amount of time that we spend conditioning and training in the off-season this year,” said Oost. “This is the first year I have been at Whitman where we have had morning practices in the fall. This kind of hard work is really going to pay off.”
This year’s team has 12 players: five more than last year’s squad. Although only six of them will compete in a given match in the college team format, the team will enjoy the added depth this season.
“Having more players strengthens our network of support, so we can help each other through the challenges of being a student-athlete,” said senior Alex Robinson. “Players who don’t play every match have an equally important and challenging role as those in the line-up. [During a match], they spend four to five hours focused on helping their teammates get through nine matches. ”
The depth will maintain the strength of the team’s lineup in case of injuries, and Hein is working to have a solid roster from top to bottom.
“As a coach, I’d like to see everyone from our top player to the players fighting to have a spot on the team improve,” he said. “One of my goals is to be open and see how the new players perform to get an idea of how they can improve going into the spring.”
Despite the luxury of a deeper team, players have still committed to improving their fitness this fall to prevent injuries.
“By the end of the fall, we need to be in great shape both mentally and physically so we can be ready to jump in to the spring season,” Oost said.
