Tennis team boasts young talent and new assistant coach
The Saint Joseph’s University women’s and men’s tennis teams opened their respective seasons this past weekend. The women traveled to Towson University to participate in the Towson Tiger Classic on Sept. 16 and 17. The men took a brief bus ride down the Main Line to play in the Villanova Invitational on Sept. 15, 16 and 17.
Although the matches did not count towards the team record, they counted for individual records. Both contests gave head coach Ian Crookenden and his coaching staff an opportunity to evaluate their team’s efforts and determine the areas that need improvement going forward.
Crookenden had high expectations for the women’s team after a somewhat disappointing 2016-17 campaign. Following their efforts over the weekend, Crookenden was very pleased with the play of his entire roster.
“It’s very heartwarming to see the depth of the squad,” Crookenden said. “We are young, but there is some good talent there. I think it’s going to grow magnificently over the year.”
Crookenden also emphasised the balance the Hawks have on their roster. This will be a benefit throughout the season, because all the members of the team will continually push each other to improve their game.
“In good tennis, as our team is displaying now, there is not a great discrepancy between the top position and the number six position,” Crookenden said. “The better teams all have players that can compete with each other. And that is really the way they improve.”
Although pleased with the performance of his team, Crookenden was also adamant that there is plenty of room to improve in the coming months.
“We have to improve serves and get more attacking weapons,” Crookenden said. “We are very steady and consistent, which is good, but we have to be able to hurt our opponent at different times. Whether that ability is a bigger forehand, more aggressive net play or a more penetrating first serve.”
The team is also young, with five out of nine members being freshmen. Crookenden mentioned that observation and patience is the key to making up for the lack of experience on this roster.
“Emotional maturity is what makes up for lack of experience,” Crookenden said. “You have to learn to take your lumps, and when you get beat a few times, learn from it. Don’t let it get you down because as you acquire that knowledge, your own game will improve.”
The future looks bright for the Hawks, and Crookenden is confident that the women’s team will show constant improvement throughout the season. He is similarly optimistic about the men’s team this season, but the team is going to have to improve their doubles play, according to Crookenden.
“The doubles point is critical,” Crookenden said. “If you win 50 percent of the singles matches, whoever wins the doubles point wins the match. Even though the match format doesn’t emphasise doubles, it is critical to the team result in the spring. Our goal is to win more doubles points in team match.”
The Hawks had a lackluster weekend at Villanova, losing a number of matches. However, one of the highlights from the weekend, according to junior Dan Tan, was the coaching debut of assistant coach Marc Pibernat.
“He brings a whole new level of motivation, intensity and confidence which I believe we really need to be successful this semester and in the spring during the season,” Tan said.
Pibernat is going to be an incredible asset to the Hawks going forward. He has coached and played at both the college and professional level, and brings an abundance of professionalism and experience to Hawk Hill.
Pibernat said the team performed well at Villanova, but there was still a lot of room for improvement. Most of this improvement is rooted in the mental progression that the team needs to make in order to win more matches.
“I really want the team to have a little more energy both in practice and during matches,” Pibernat said. “The energy of the team and the will to go out there and win is what I think we can improve most.”
Pibernat has 15 years of coaching experience, but he also says that he can offer a lot of energy and motivation to the team. He is very happy with the skill level of the roster, but Pibernat stressed the importance of mental improvement in order to compete with the best teams.
Two Hawks stood out this weekend. Senior Peter Dewitt and Tan had an excellent showing as a doubles team.
“I was very happy with Peter and Dan and the way they carried the team and themselves,” Pibernat said. “Peter is unfortunately a senior this year. I wish I could have six Peters. He fights, this guy really fights. I love his attitude, the way he fights and the way he respects his opponents. And Dan is exceptional as well.”
The men’s team will host the Saint Joseph’s Invitational next weekend, Sept. 22, 23 and 24, at the SJU Tennis Complex. The women’s team will host the Saint Joseph’s Invitational at home on Sept. 29. Both squads will seek to improve as they look forward to the start of the spring season.
