The Asbury tennis team officially kicked off its season by finishing 8th with a total score of 1075 in the Transy Tournament at Top Seed in Nicholasville, Kentucky. In contrast, the JV men’s and women’s teams competed in a tournament hosted by Asbury University against Thomas Moore.
With the fall season underway, Jarred Miller, the head coach of the men’s and women’s varsity tennis teams, is excited for the season to come.
“The fall semester for us is about the individual,” said Miller. “It’s not about the team’s accomplishments; it’s about the individual ones.”
This season does come with its challenges. Seniors Grace Gorby and Giovana Kelm are currently studying abroad. However, working in international admissions himself, there was no hesitation in allowing them to have intercultural opportunities.
“It does make our dynamic a little bit tricky for the entire year when you’re missing people in the fall, and you’ve got to reintroduce them in January,” said Miller.
Going into the Transy Tournament, Asbury faced competitors in their primary conference season, but showed great determination and grit.
Kourtney Kawata, a freshman on the team, won 2 out of 3 singles against College of Wooster and Millikin University. Junior Luciana Iriarte also won 2 out of 3 singles against Transy and Millikin University.
In regards to the doubles, the other girls were at a disadvantage since they only had six players while the other teams had a more packed roster on their side. Despite being low in numbers, the Asbury Eagles fought hard until the very end, demonstrating their ability and willingness to start the season off strong.
Back at Asbury, the JV team’s invitational tournament was a success.
“It was good to get my first singles win in my very first match,” said freshman AJ Hughes after he played in the tournament. “I’m looking forward to looking back on this match and seeing how much my teammates and I improved.”
Hughes also looks forward to playing different teams, especially since Asbury transitioned to NCAA Division III.
“I’m looking forward to playing a lot of different opponents,” said Hughes. “I just love the game of tennis, so I’m happy I get the opportunity to play it for my school.”
