After much preparation and anticipation for the arrival of the Grand Valley State University Lakers, the FSU women’s tennis team was forced to postpone the Sept. 30 match due to a campus wide power outage and windy outdoor conditions.
“Our girls were excited to play on Friday, and although we felt ready to go, I don’t think postponing the match was too big a disappointment,” FSU head coach Alex Palladino said. “We will continue to train hard and regenerate our enthusiasm as we close in on the rescheduled date.”
The match is to be rescheduled for either Oct. 13 or 14. The time of day for the match is yet to be determined.
Before the Bulldogs get their chance at the Lakers, FSU will need to play through a three-contest road trip as they hope to improve upon their 6-2 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference record. The Bulldogs will be competing against teams in Ohio.
“If we can manage ourselves well through this three-match road trip, we will gain confidence to challenge GVSU in our last match of the regular season,” Palladino said.
The Bulldogs will start their toad trip on Oct. 6 at Ashland University. Ashland is currently 7-2 in the GLIAC.
“If we can get a couple good wins this weekend, then that helps our confidence and makes us a little more ready,” senior tennis player Natalie Diorio said. “We need to focus on our first match against Ashland and go from there.”
After challenging Ashland, FSU will test themselves against Ohio Dominican on Oct. 7. Ohio Dominican is 6-3 in the GLIAC.
Finally, the Bulldogs will attempt to defeat Lake Erie College as they prepare to end their road trip Oct. 9. Lake Erie is winless on the season.
“My goal with our team players is to work hard to establish a consistent level of competitive play regardless of the opponent,” Palladino said. “If we carry high spirits through the rest of the season, we will see continued good results.”
After what Palladino thought would be a rebuilding year for the Bulldogs, FSU has surprised the competition with the additions of sophomore Ana Jan and freshman Laurence LeBlanc. Both athletes have made an instant impact in the Bulldogs line-up, according to Palladino.
The Bulldogs would like to be the No. 4 seed in the upcoming GLIAC Tournament, which is set to begin Oct. 21. In order to do that, the team will need to win two of the three big match-ups against GVSU, Ashland, and Ohio Dominican, according to Palladino.
“Heading into the tournament, we are striving for a top 4 seed,” he said. “Playing three tough matches in three days is challenging, and we try hard to be as strong as we can be for each match, and understand the importance of taking them one at a time.”