Lehigh tennis ready for upcoming season after winter break program

Senior Colin Nardella swings up to serve the ball on Monday, Sept. 26, 2016 at the Ulrich Varsity Courts. . (Annie Henry/B&W Staff)

Wouter Hendrix, coach of the Lehigh men’s and women’s tennis teams, is coming into the season with a winning record from the men’s team and a 9-9 record for the women’s team. As both teams head into the season with Hendrix at the helm, they look forward to another successful season.

With multiple years of experience, including three years of men’s coaching, one year of women’s coaching, and assistant coaching for both the men’s and women’s teams, Hendrix leads both teams with an experienced hand.

Last season, the men’s team finished with a record of 15-6 while the women’s team failed to finish above .500. 

Prior to winter break, Hendrix outlined plans for each team to stay in top physical shape while also taking time to relax.

“I gave them all their plans for the winter break, which included conditioning, a lifting program, agility and most important, rest,” he said.

Hendrix said the main focus of this past winter break was for his players to take time for themselves, and have a little off-time after the preseason.

The men’s team comes into the season with depth in their roster, which Hendrix views as the team’s greatest asset.

“Our depth allows us to compete in any position and the mindset of our players allows them to work incredibly hard,” Hendrix said.

For the women, Hendrix talked about how the team’s mentality and leadership would be key throughout the season.

Both teams are also excelling academically. Last semester, the men’s team averaged over a 3.2 GPA and the women’s team averaged a 3.6 GPA, which beat out everyone else in the athletic department.  

The men’s team is currently 0-2 after taking a 0-7 loss against the University of Richmond on Jan. 28, as well as another 0-4 loss against Richmond on the same day, but Hendrix was satisfied with the team’s performance.

“They were a tough opponent and we got humbled, but I’m proud that there were no excuses,” Hendrix said.

The women’s team is currently 0-1 after falling 1-6 against Iowa State University. Hendrix noted that while the singles players struggled, the team played well in doubles.

Overall, he mentioned the need for more discipline from the team.

“There were a lot of mistakes, so we’re going to try and be more disciplined and deliberate with our shots to try and keep the ball in play for longer while also being more aggressive over the middle,” Hendrix said.

It’s still early in the season, but the program expects to have its hands full in the coming months. Hendrix alluded to the team’s difficult schedule when discussing what he was looking forward to in the season.

“Playing Patriot League matches is always exciting,” Hendrix said. “The rivalries are intense and the stakes are high. We have one of the men’s toughest schedules coming up, they’re playing (the University of Southern California) in California which is going to be tough.”

Not to get ahead of himself, Hendrix cautioned that it’s a long season. He said the team could look different than it does now by the end of the season.

“It’s tough to gauge who’s going to break out,” Hendrix said. “Injuries can flare up and disrupt an entire season, but everyone has the chance to go out there and prove themselves.”

Both teams will be back in action this weekend. The men next play against Penn State on Feb. 4 in University Park in a match that Hendrix warned would be extremely difficult.

The women, meanwhile, will stay at home to face Drexel University on Feb. 5.

“Drexel is fielding one of their best teams in years, so we’re going to go in there hyped-up as the underdog especially since they’ve beaten us for the last two years,” Hendrix said.