Senior Gigi Bohan had not played a competitive match in over a year. After sitting out all of last season with an injury, she stepped back onto the court at the Carousel Classic this month, closing out a year on the sidelines.
“I was honestly just so grateful to be out on the court with my team again,” Bohan said. “The energy and chemistry our girls have is unmatched. We truly love being together on and off the tennis court.”
Bohan’s return was one thread in a busy opening weekend for Colgate University women’s tennis, who traveled to Binghamton, N.Y. Sept. 12-14 for the Carousel Classic, an invite the Raiders attended two years in a row. The field featured three teams: Binghamton University, the University at Buffalo and Colgate. Before the matches got underway, the team also helped host a youth clinic for local elementary school students in Binghamton.
Junior Rebecca Hess led Colgate in wins over the weekend, picking up two singles victories over Binghamton. She and first-year Sophia Kurinets also teamed up for a 6-3 doubles win over Buffalo, which doubled as Kurinets’ first collegiate victory. Fellow first-year Jolie Mastre solidified her own first win alongside senior captain Carina Cristobal, the pair topping a Binghamton team 7-5. Sophomore Anson Silverfield and junior Anya Kunar also won their singles matches, 7-6(3), 7-5 and 7-5, 7-6(5), respectively, while first-year Mila Montero and Cristobal each fought through matches that came down to long third-set tiebreakers.
Head Coach Damien Prohaska said the results reflected a team that had not lost much of what it built last spring.
“It felt like we carried over a lot of the great energy and in-match mindset we had established as a group last spring,” Prohaska said. “That muscle memory kicked in quickly for us, and I was happy with our overall competitive level.”
The performances from Kurinets, Mastre and Montero, all first-years playing their first college matches, stood out to Prohaska as a sign of the roster’s depth heading into the year.
“It is certainly encouraging, and our entire group has been excited about the addition of Jolie, SK and Mila,” Prohaska said. “They add so much to our lineup, but our returners have come in sharp and really feeling their game. Rising tides raise all ships, and we’re certainly seeing that elevated level in training.”
Hess, who has spent much of the fall watching three new first-years adjust to college tennis, said the newcomers brought more than just talent.
“I am really excited about what our three new freshmen will bring to the team,” Hess said. “We welcomed three really talented players, and they have already brought a lot of great skills to our team.”
For a team opening its season, nerves were unavoidable. Mastre, playing in her first collegiate tournament, said the no-ad scoring format at the Carousel Classic only raised the stakes on big points, but the team’s support system made the pressure easier to carry.
“The team stayed very positive overall, and despite being nervous, having everyone around supporting each other definitely alleviated the pressure,” Mastre said.
Prohaska pointed to a word that kept coming up in team conversations over the weekend: trust.
“It comes in the form of trusting yourself, your process and our environment,” Prohaska said. “Everyone was uber supportive and cognisant of the anxiety it can bring, so we were able to stay pretty loose and play without fear.”
Senior Paige Rothwell said that comfort level was visible across the roster, even in doubles pairings still finding their rhythm.
“I thought everyone looked well and the competitive level was great across the board,” Rothwell said. “As girls become more comfortable in their doubles pairings, I think we will continue to see good results.”
Both Rothwell and Hess pointed to doubles as an area they want to sharpen before the team’s next tournament. For Hess, that work starts with her serve.
“A strong serve can also give my partner opportunities at the net and allow us to take control of the point earlier,” Hess said.
The Raiders will not have to wait long to build on the weekend. Colgate returns to the court at home Sept. 26 to host the Colgate Invitational at the J.W. Abrahamson Memorial Courts, welcoming Hamilton College, Siena University and Williams College to campus.
Prohaska said hosting the event means something beyond the results on the scoreboard.
“Hosting a fall event is huge for our players, but is especially important for our families to see us in action,” Prohaska said. “It’s such a great time of year to be around Hamilton and bring everyone together, families and prospective recruits alike.”
For a roster mixing veterans like Bohan and Rothwell with a first-year class already picking up wins, the Colgate Invitational offers another chance to keep building before the calendar turns to spring, the season Bohan is already looking forward to.
“I have a feeling it may be one of our most successful seasons yet,” Bohan said.