Tennis to Begin Fall Season at Quinnipiac
9/12/2013 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Sept. 12, 2013
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. - Leadership - a common denominator between all successful teams.
As the 2013-14 Seton Hall women's tennis team prepares to begin the fall portion of its schedule; leadership is one area where the squad is certainly not lacking.
Seniors Rocio Portela (Demetrio Vega Baja, Puerto Rico) and Chloe Sher (Tin Shui Wai, Hong Kong) are a short time away from embarking on the final chapter of their collegiate careers and though they have long set an example through their performances; the duo has fully embraced their role as captains this year and have helped cultivate a culture within the program that emphasizes the value of dedication.
"Rocio and Chloe have been tremendous," said head coach Greg Wyzykowski who is entering his seventh season at the helm for the Pirates and his 25th overall as a tennis instructor. "With them as our captains, they have created a dynamic that perhaps we haven't had in years past. They are among the hardest working young ladies that I have ever been around and I definitely believe that it has trickled down to the rest of our team, whether it has been on the court or doing extra running after practice. They're taking more ownership, there is more accountability and I am excited to see how that translates in competition."
Portela and Sher are no strangers to success on the court, ranking among the most prolific doubles tandems in school history. For three years, the two classmates have occupied the top spot in the Pirates' doubles lineup and have produced unprecedented results. Their record together is littered with victories, highlighted by a number of fall tournament titles - including an A flight championship at last year's Bill and Sandra Moore Invitational hosted by Navy - and a stretch during the spring of 2012 where the two combined to win 13 consecutive matches and racked up seven victories in BIG EAST appearances.
According to Wyzykowski, such success can at least in part be attributed to the symbiotic relationship that his two seniors have developed during their time together at The Hall.
"Even though they come from different backgrounds, they've been around each other as teammates and roommates since they got to campus," he said. "It's at the point where they know what the other is thinking and that type of understanding between partners is definitely an advantage in doubles competition. Sometimes I don't even have to say anything. They are so perceptive and have such an acute awareness on the court that they're able to work together to make the adjustments they need to win."
Doubles is not the only area where Portela and Sher have excelled as the two have also been charged with manning the top-two spot in SHU's singles lineup for the better part of their careers as well.
Sher became the first Pirate in program history to be named to the All-BIG EAST Women's Tennis Team in 2011-12 and followed that up with a repeat selection last season. Portela has been the lynchpin in a number of key team victories over the last three years, consistently grinding through injuries and battling top opposition in order to help the team reach the next level.
With two proven winners already in tow, Wyzykowski also believes that the top of his lineup has been bolstered by the arrival of newcomer Hannah Liljekvist (Djursholm, Sweden).
Liljekvist comes to South Orange after spending a year as part of a Saint Mary's (CA) squad that finished last season as the #37-ranked team in the nation. She saw limited action as a freshman for the Gaels but contributed several victories when she did receive the opportunity to play and was also named to the WCC Commissioner's Honor Roll for academic excellence - a fitting addition to a program that has been recognized by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) for academic achievement in each year of Wyzykowski's tenure.
"Hannah has brought an infusion of energy and enthusiasm that has already benefited our team," said Wyzykowski. "She is very talented and will push and challenge to be near the top of our lineup. She is eager for the chance to compete and I think with her in the fold, any chance of complacency setting into our squad has gone out the window."
Liljekvist is one of two new faces that will join the Pirates for the upcoming year as freshman Julie Martiny (Brussels, Belgium) will also represent the blue & white for the first time. Martiny is an accomplished player in her native Belgium with captain experience of her own and her coach believes that as she becomes more acclimated with the game in her new home, she could make a substantial impact for SHU.
"Julie has a lot of really developed skills for someone her age but she is going through a bit of an adjustment period," Wyzykowski relayed. "She played predominantly on clay courts for most of her life; an atmosphere that is completely different than competing on the hard courts more characteristic of the game here in the United States. She struggled a bit in the beginning but to her credit, she's stuck with it and we can already see signs of her getting more comfortable out there. Once she really gets in a groove, she could be someone who really adds some great depth for us in both singles and doubles."
If leadership is one area that Wyzykowski should not have to worry about this season, depth may be the other. Along with Portela and Sher, Seton Hall returns a quartet of players in Anna Guryanova (Moscow, Russia), Madison Shoemaker (Halfmoon Bay, British Columbia), Julia Keenan (Greenland, N.H.) and Alex Landert (Naples, Fla.) that have amassed a wealth of experience in their time at Seton Hall.
Guryanova enters her junior season after having ranked among the team leaders in singles win percentage in both of her first two years on campus. In 2012-13, she posted an 11-5 overall record as an individual after winning nine of her first 11 matches. In the fall, she advanced to the finals in each of her first two tournaments and captured her first ever title with a win at the Bill and Sandra Moore Invitational. As she heads into year three, Wyzykowski says he could envision Guryanova assuming a larger role within the squad.
"Anna's a great person to have on our team because she works so hard," he said. "She has experienced some success and has made a case to be in the lineup more often. Between her work ethic and her results, she deserves it."
Shoemaker was thrust into a prominent role for the Pirates as a sophomore a year ago, primarily competing at the third and fourth positions and handled her duties quite capably. She finished third on the team in overall singles victories and recorded the third-most dual match wins as well. In doubles, she was one-half of the Pirates' number two pair that showed substantial improvement from the year prior as she teamed with Keenan too advance to two tournament finals.
"Maddy did a terrific job for us last year," said Wyzykowski. "I threw her in a number of different positions and situations and she always did whatever I asked her to. So far in practice I can already see that she's starting to grasp the nuances of the game more and more and I definitely anticipate her taking the next step in her game this season."
Wyzykowski also projects that Shoemaker will remain a key part of #2 doubles and shared that along with when paired with Liljekvist, the tandem presents a formidable force for the opposition to deal with.
"Their playing styles match well so that makes them suitable partners," he said. "Maddy is dependable and will be there to make shots and Hannah has the ability and mindset to take charge when she needs to. We'll start with those two together with the hope that they can develop into a great team."
Keenan and Landert are coming off freshman seasons in which they both played extensively and achieved measures of success.
Keenan burst out of the gate last fall, winning her first seven collegiate matches and taking home titles from both the Quinnipiac and Bill and Sandra Moore Invitationals. In all, she registered a 10-1 record in the fall and after returning from injury in the spring; scored two key BIG EAST victories before closing the season with a gutsy three-set comeback win over Yanita Arnaudova of St. John's at the conference championship.
Landert made the final in her debut at the Quinnipiac Invitational and went on to post four consecutive wins at the Bill and Sandra Moore Invitational. While competing mostly in the middle of the lineup in the spring, she contributed vital wins as part of three team victories; ultimately finishing the year with 12 wins to her credit.
She was also an essential part of the Pirates' doubles efforts, partnering with Guryanova to comprise a competitive third pair for SHU.
"With Julia and Alex back, I think they'll be able to build on a number of positives that they took away from last year," said Wyzykowski. "They both responded well to the responsibility of being in the lineup at key positions and as they become more consistent, we're only going to be that much more dangerous as a team."
With a wealth of depth at his disposal, Wyzykowski is pleased with the results of a heightened sense of internal competition.
"What's great about this team is that we really do have eight very talented players," said the Pirates' head man. "The girls have been playing each other in practice and it has been so even that many of the matches have come down to a third-set tiebreak. I think this has ignited their competitive spirit and pushed them all to continue to work to elevate their level of play. It could be a great weapon for us as the season wears on."
The season will begin at this weekend's Quinnipiac Invitational, a familiar starting point for the Pirates. Quinnipiac is the first of five fall tournaments on the schedule as Seton Hall will also compete at the West Point Invitational (9.27-9.29), USTA Invitational (10.11-10.13), ITA Regional Championship (10.17-10.21) and the NJIT Invitational (10.25-10.27).
Present in the middle of the tournament dates is a scheduled dual match at Fairleigh Dickinson on October 15.
Last season, the team took home a total of six titles from four fall tournaments, a fact that Wyzykowski believes has contributed to the continued growth of the program.
"We schedule tournaments in the fall with the idea of progressively increasing the level of competition," he said. "In recent years, we've performed better than we ever have at certain sites and we've started to take home a few trophies."
"I think those experiences are an essential part of getting to where we want to be as a program," he continued. "We want to be a team that other schools know they need to look out for and in order to do that, we need to learn how to win. Once the girls see that they are capable of reaching that plateau, those are experiences they can call upon to help them in future matches."
"Our team has been working extremely hard and we're all very excited to get the season underway."
The Quinnipiac Invitational is scheduled to be a three-day competition. Play is slated to begin tomorrow, Friday, September 13 and carry through Sunday, September 15 in Hamden, Conn.
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