Frosh fab four hit the court
Tyler Diedrich
Issue date: 2/5/10 Section: Sports
Just by their presence on the court, the four freshmen on the women's tennis team - all Canadian - have improved the team's chances for success.
After playing last season short handed, forcing the team to forfeit one singles and one doubles pairing each match, coach Michael Bates found four freshmen north of the border to combine with a group of three returning players.
Bates said the freshmen bring a positive attitude and depth to the team.
"Last year, it was a little rough; we struggled a little bit," Bates said. "But I think with the freshmen here and the upperclassmen we have back, I really feel like we're capable of winning at any spot in our lineup."
Bates recruited three members of the class from a showcase in Ontario, including Toronto natives Kathryn Kvas and Amanda Pallikunnel and Windsor native Riley Archer.
The fourth, Kalia Garcia-Rojas, also from Toronto, committed following a last-minute visit arranged after Bates consulted with a friend, who said Garcia-Rojas was looking for a school.
Bates said this season has been a learning experience for the freshmen, and they still have room for improvement.
"They've got to realize it's a long season, and it takes a lot out of you, the grind," Bates said. "I think they're just getting use to the level of competition and how hard you have to work, and continue to work, if you want to compete at this level."
Garcia-Rojas also said the freshmen have faced a learning curve this season and are still settling in.
"As a (group) of freshmen, it took a lot of us a while to kind of get into the groove here," Garcia-Rojas said. "Some of us are still a little shaky playing here, but it's getting better with every match that we play."
Bates said the freshmen are all capable of contributing immediately, while still continuing to fine-tune certain parts of their game.
"They're a little bit weak in doubles, (which) they don't play a lot of in juniors, so they've got to work on that," Bates said. "(But) I think they can come in here and help us win right away."
Garcia-Rojas said patience and consistency have been two of her main adjustments.
"I've had to learn to play kind of a different style," Garcia-Rojas said. "Focus more on just getting the ball in than winning the point."
The Bonnies have two home matches this weekend at the SBU Fitness Center, facing Saint Francis, Pa. tomorrow at 10 a.m. before an 11 a.m. matchup with Cleveland State Sunday.
The team dropped its season opener, 5-2, last Saturday at home against Albany. Kvas and Pallikunnel each won singles matches, and Pallikunnel and junior Maria Barrousse won at first doubles.
Garcia-Rojas said the experience gained was important, and is excited to see how much progress they make throughout the season.
"We all came out with things that we learned and things that we need to work on," she said. "We have a lot of potential on the team, and hopefully we'll fulfill some of that."
e-mail: diedtrs@sbu.edu
After playing last season short handed, forcing the team to forfeit one singles and one doubles pairing each match, coach Michael Bates found four freshmen north of the border to combine with a group of three returning players.
Bates said the freshmen bring a positive attitude and depth to the team.
"Last year, it was a little rough; we struggled a little bit," Bates said. "But I think with the freshmen here and the upperclassmen we have back, I really feel like we're capable of winning at any spot in our lineup."
Bates recruited three members of the class from a showcase in Ontario, including Toronto natives Kathryn Kvas and Amanda Pallikunnel and Windsor native Riley Archer.
The fourth, Kalia Garcia-Rojas, also from Toronto, committed following a last-minute visit arranged after Bates consulted with a friend, who said Garcia-Rojas was looking for a school.
Bates said this season has been a learning experience for the freshmen, and they still have room for improvement.
"They've got to realize it's a long season, and it takes a lot out of you, the grind," Bates said. "I think they're just getting use to the level of competition and how hard you have to work, and continue to work, if you want to compete at this level."
Garcia-Rojas also said the freshmen have faced a learning curve this season and are still settling in.
"As a (group) of freshmen, it took a lot of us a while to kind of get into the groove here," Garcia-Rojas said. "Some of us are still a little shaky playing here, but it's getting better with every match that we play."
Bates said the freshmen are all capable of contributing immediately, while still continuing to fine-tune certain parts of their game.
"They're a little bit weak in doubles, (which) they don't play a lot of in juniors, so they've got to work on that," Bates said. "(But) I think they can come in here and help us win right away."
Garcia-Rojas said patience and consistency have been two of her main adjustments.
"I've had to learn to play kind of a different style," Garcia-Rojas said. "Focus more on just getting the ball in than winning the point."
The Bonnies have two home matches this weekend at the SBU Fitness Center, facing Saint Francis, Pa. tomorrow at 10 a.m. before an 11 a.m. matchup with Cleveland State Sunday.
The team dropped its season opener, 5-2, last Saturday at home against Albany. Kvas and Pallikunnel each won singles matches, and Pallikunnel and junior Maria Barrousse won at first doubles.
Garcia-Rojas said the experience gained was important, and is excited to see how much progress they make throughout the season.
"We all came out with things that we learned and things that we need to work on," she said. "We have a lot of potential on the team, and hopefully we'll fulfill some of that."
e-mail: diedtrs@sbu.edu
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