Facing the team that eliminated them from the NCAA tournament in 2025, Whitman women’s tennis had a chance for revenge, if not complete redemption, on Feb. 7 at the Bratton Tennis Center. From the beginning of the match against Trinity University — the No. 11 team in D-III women’s tennis — however, the Blues were unable to compete at their opponent’s level. With a chance to use the non-conference match as an initial measuring stick for the team’s potential, Whitman was swept 0-7 in a disappointing start to the season.
The start for the Blues was a far cry from the resounding success of their 2024-2025 season, in which they finished 22-4 overall and excelled in the ITA Fall Northwest Regional Championships and Cup. Whitman advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament before running into the Trinity Tigers and falling 4-0. What could’ve been an opportunity to retaliate, and start the season off on a strong note, instead rubbed salt in the wound for the No. 29 Blues.
Trinity made their victory seem almost effortless, cruising through three rounds of doubles to take a 1-0 lead. Seniors Jules Thompson and Julia Longpre gave Trinity their toughest challenge but fell short in the third set 7-5. From there, Trinity comfortably dispatched Whitman in each of six rounds of singles, winning the majority of the rounds by a comfortable margin. The Tigers were unrelenting in showing full well why they are the 11th seed in D-III tennis.
Though the loss stung, the Blues believe it will fuel them to move forward and improve their play.
“We all take it personally,” sophomore Nana Vang said. “I think we all really care about our results, and we’re not just here to play tennis — we’re here to win.”
Along with this clear drive to win, the team has also developed a robust collective identity built on care for and trust in one another. First-year Gloria Lau expressed this idea in her postgame reflection.
“I love my team so much,” Lau said. “They bring great energy, and we’re going to play much better next week.”
Both Lau and Vang’s comments are emblematic of what the Blues will need to draw on to bounce back from the resounding loss — a mix of compassion and hunger to compete that forms a love, in equal parts, for winning and for one another.
The Blues get credit for playing hard through the end of the match, which the scoreboard for the game might not necessarily reflect. Even long after it was out of their hands, Whitman remained competitive and left everything on the court.
Assistant Coach Thomas Sawatzki acknowledged Trinity University’s prowess and the Blues’ room for improvement.
“We’re good, and we’re going to get better,” Sawatzki said. “We’re so competitive in all of these matches, and we’re really close to turning the corner. This was a really good team that we played today.”
The loss was Whitman’s sixth against Trinity since 2016. In that same time frame, the Blues have defeated the Tigers just once.
To get over the hump, Sawatzki stressed the importance of acclimating to the skill level of opponents.
“[We need to] learn how to compete against really good players who get a lot of balls back and make our lives a lot harder than we’d like them to be,” Sawatzki said.
Along similar lines, Vang acknowledged her uncertainty coming into the match about its outcome given the Blues’ youth.
“I didn’t know how we were going to compete, but I’m very proud,” Vang said.
With five out of the 10 players on their roster this year being first-year players, and having lost seven players from last season, the question is how long the growing pains will take to fade for the Blues.
Their first chance to provide an answer and bounce back from a forgettable season opener is on Feb. 14 against Whitworth University as NWC play begins.
