After a successful fall season under first year head coach Adam Reeb, Seattle University men’s and women’s tennis opens their 2016 spring season at Washington on Saturday. Reeb shares his thoughts on each team as well as the individual student-athletes heading into spring competition.
On the Men’s Team: “We’re looking forward to a successful season. We’ve got a really hungry, motivated group who is looking to make some noise in the WAC. Our schedule starts very tough but every match is a learning opportunity for us. Our goal is constant, daily improvement, and if we can do that, we are confident we’ll be in a good position once conference play starts. There are a lot of really good teams in the WAC, so we look forward to the challenge of competing against them and seeing where we stand.”
Ian Clare: “Ian is really tough from the back of the court. He possesses great groundstrokes and is overall an extremely tough competitor. We look forward to a great senior campaign from him.”
Brian Nguyen: "Brian has a tremendous work ethic. He is constantly working on his game and looking to get better. He is very quick around the court and utilizes that speed in playing an aggressive, all-court game."
Gus Orlando: "Gus has some of the heaviest groundstrokes I've seen. His ball jumps around and is tough for opponents to handle. He combines that with an effective lefty serve to give him a dangerous game."
Tanner Berkabile: "Tanner has all the shots and is a very smooth player. He has big weapons in his serve and forehand and is overall a fantastic athlete. Tanner is very motivated and we're looking forward to seeing what he does this spring season."
Connor Leahy: "Connor is a very smart player who has a knack for putting the ball in places his opponent doesn't like. He is crafty on the court and is a very good doubles player as well. Connor is one of our team captains and does a great job for us on and off the court."
John Stormans: "John plays a great all-court game centered around his lefty forehand. He possesses a great work ethic and leadership skills as well. John will be a significant contributor for us in both singles and doubles this year."
Matt Alderson: "Matt is the type of player who keeps getting better and better. He's got a solid all-court game that will translate well to success in both singles and doubles. He had a good fall season and we're looking forward to an even better spring from him."
Jeremiah Kalmus: "Jeremiah has a big game with lots of weapons. His serve and forehand will win him a lot of points. Jeremiah has been working hard on utilizing those weapons even more effectively and his all court game will allow him to contribute in both singles and doubles."
Michael Schoettler: "Michael works his game around a monster forehand. He's had some injury problems in the past, so he is working hard on strengthening and staying healthy. Michael is rounding back into competitive form, and we're excited to see him in action this spring season.
On the Women’s Team: "We had a very good fall season and we want to continue that success in the spring, making further inroads in the WAC. This is one of the hardest working groups of student-athletes you'll see. They are constantly looking for ways to get better, which is a dream scenario for any coach. We have been putting in the work, and now we're looking forward to seeing where we stand. If we can stay healthy and keep focused on the things we can control, we're confident we’ll have a successful season."
Kristen James: "Kristen is our lone senior and one of our team captains. She has a solid all-court game which translates well to both singles and doubles. Kristen has good leadership skills, and we look forward to her ending her career as a Redhawk with a lot of success."
Barbara Carey: "Barbara is a hard worker who is tough from the back of the court. She always brings great energy and enthusiasm to the team every day. Barbara has a positive attitude and is coachable, and those types of intangibles, along with her game, make her an important part of our success."
Kailyn Skjonsby: "Kailyn is steadily improving all the time. She's got a good serve and her backhand, especially, is super solid. She loves tennis and is constantly looking for ways to get better. We look forward to seeing her continued progress this spring season."
Kelli Woodman: "Kelli has a tremendous work ethic. She is super solid from the back of the court, and she has the ability to move forward as well. Kelli, who is also one of our team captains, had a very good summer and has kept that momentum going into this school year. She will be a significant contributor for us this year in both singles and doubles."
Sari Kwee: "Sari has been steadily coming back from a back injury since before the fall season started, which is always tough to deal with. She did a fantastic job getting back, and we look forward to seeing her healthy and on the court this spring. Sari possesses great instincts at the net and has tough, penetrating groundstrokes from the back of the court."
Michelle Lui: "Michelle is an extremely tough player. She has heavy groundstrokes which get on an opponent fast, and she is able to find so many angles on the court to hurt her opponent with. Michelle had a tremendous fall, being named WAC Female Tennis Player of the Month twice, and she certainly has the ability to be one of the best players in the WAC this spring. We look forward to seeing what she does this spring season."
Madison Maloney: "Madison has a great all-court game with all the tools. She has one of the best serves I've seen, and she combines that with an ability to move forward in the court as well. Madison will be a significant contributor for us in both singles and doubles this year."
Audrey Scott: "Audrey is a tough player from the back of the court. She is fit and can stay out on the court for as long as it takes to win. Audrey's got a good work ethic as she loves to put the time in on the practice court. We're excited to watch her continued development this spring season."
After opening the spring season at Washington, the women’s first home match will be the following day, Sunday, Jan. 10 vs. Eastern Washington at the Tennis Center at Sand Point. The men’s team will be on the road for the first month before their first home match on Sunday, Feb. 7 vs. Idaho, also at Sand Point.
For the full men’s schedule click HERE and for the full women’s schedule click HERE.
Fans and supporters are also encouraged to follow “Seattle University Tennis” on Facebook for all the latest updates on the teams throughout the season.