Southwestern College Collegian

Issue date: 3/5/08 Section: Sports

"It's a new go around," said John Paulin head coach for woman's and men's tennis. Women's tennis kicked off their season Feb. 29 with a 0-9 loss against Southern Nazarene University. The team had a tough match. Paulin said. "SNU is as strong as ever. They are ranked No. 9 in the NAIA presently. Phil White always has a solid team and it is a tough match but is a good for us to start the spring season." Led by National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics All-American Christy Greenly, SNU swept all three doubles matches with scores of 8-1, 8-2 and 8-3. Greenly and Isabella Bauer beat Lauren Petty, business senior and Madison Lumm, elementary education senior, in doubles 8-1. Greenly then played Petty in singles beating her with a score of 6-0 and 6-1. Lumm said, "We did our best this match. I learned a lot and plan to utilize it for the next match." Kourtney McLeland, psychology junior, almost snatched her singles match against Heather Parnell, with a lead of 5-2 in the first set. But Parnell came back with two wins, 7-5 and then 6-2 in the second match to win a close battle. Paulin is not too concerned if his team finishes as No. 1 in the conference. He said, "If we end up in the middle of the pack that would be great." There are some fierce competitors, Paulin said, including Tabor, Bethel and especially Bethany. The Lady Swedes grasped the 2007 Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference championship. The men's team has not yet played their first tennis match this spring. Their first match is at 1:30 p.m., March 13, at home against Central Christian College. As the season begins for the men, one member of the team wants more than just a mediocre finish. Tristan Walters, biochemistry freshman, said, "A goal of mine is to win 75 percent of my matches, get in better condition, and not give up." Tennis is unlike any other team sport according to Paulin. Each player brings their individual skill level to the court. But Paulin believes tennis is a mental game, 90 percent mental to be exact. Walters said he agreed with Paulin. Walters said, "Once you get down on yourself you'll think you are going to miss a ball, and then you do." Walters gets himself out of this mental slip by simply playing smart. The next woman's match will be at 3 p.m. March 11 in Winfield against John Brown University. Samantha Gillis is a freshman majoring in journalism. You may e-mail her at samantha.gillis@sckans.edu.

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