Leaving the mainland for a tournament in Honolulu might have been the best thing for the Saint Louis University women’s tennis team, according to head coach Jonathan Zych.
More important than winning or losing games while there, the Billikens came together as a team in Hawaii, Zych said.
“Being so far away is good because it forced us to be around each other all the time, which isn’t easy, but it builds camaraderie,” he said. “Everything needs to be done with a certain amount of heart, and every player has it. They responded to the challenge against Hawaii.”
The Billikens were dominant in the days prior to their Spring Break journey to Honolulu, dropping just one team point in a five-match winning streak. On March 19, they proved they can also win the close games, edging Hawaii-Hilo 4-3 for their sixth consecutive victory.
Senior Amanda Hellberg said that the Hawaii win was big for SLU, as it showed the team could perform under pressure.
“We haven’t played a lot of matches that are 4-3 wins-the games, when it gets tight like that … there’s not one team that is clearly stronger,” Hellberg said. “It’s fun to have matches that are close like that, where we have to come together to pull it out.”
Zych said he commends the team for being able to transition from the relaxing atmosphere of paradise to intense matches in the states.
“We went from Hawaiian time, which you never know for sure, to being throw back in the fire,” Zych said.
SLU didn’t show any signs of jet lag upon returning to the United States, as the team pulled out a 4-3 victory over Southern Illinois.
“I think it was a good thing that we got back a little tired because it forced us to come together against Southern Illinois, which is a team we play again,” freshman Hailee Elmore said.
More than anything, Zych said Hawaii gave the team a chance to reassess its goals for the season. He said this is the team to win the Atlantic 10 Championships, but it “has to come out firing,” he said.
“We’re going to go about our business every day with that bold goal in mind,” Zych said. “No matter whether we win or lose; the battle is with yourself and not other people. We believe in this group, and we’re going for it, no matter what.”
