First-year Lena Dogadalski has made an early impact on the Lehigh women’s tennis team, advancing to the main draw at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Regionals in her first semester.
The ITA Division I Regional Championships took place Oct. 8-21 at the University of Pennsylvania. Dogadalski earned a 6-3, 6-1 win over Rutgers’ Xintong Zhou and a 6-1, 6-2 win over Seton Hall’s Jaden Davidson to qualify for the main draw, marking one of the strongest performances by a Lehigh first-year this fall.
The Illinois native said she was nervous competing at that level for the first time, but she told herself she had nothing to lose. After her two victories, Dogadalski said her confidence grew.
“For me, the first one is always the hardest, but once I got through it, I thought, ‘Wait, I got this,’” she said. “It just kept going from there.”
Although new to collegiete competition, Dogadalski’s tennis journey began long before she arrived at Lehigh.
She started playing tennis at five years old and began competing in tournaments by fifth grade. As she entered high school, she said she knew she wanted to play at the collegiate level.
Dogadalski said she enjoys music and reading — activities which have always been a part of her life.
When joining the Lehigh team, she felt more comfortable because she was she reunited with a familiar face — junior Maggie Forkner, who also graduated from Libertyville High School in Libertyville, Illinois. The two trained under the same private coach growing up and played together in high school for about two years.
Forkner said having someone from home on the same team has been special and fun.
She said it’s nice to have someone also from her home in Chicago.
Forkner also said Dogadalski has fit in well with the team’s dynamic, getting the team wins while integrating into college tennis.
“She’s really outgoing and friendly, and the girls took to her right away,” Forkner said. “She’s easy to talk to, she’s funny and she’s such a good player.”
Dogadalski and Forkner also paired up for doubles in the ITA Regionals from Oct. 9-14 and advanced to the finals.
Head Coach Sophia Geier said Dogadalski’s performances at ITA Regionals has made her one of Lehigh’s standout players this season.
She also said even in the qualifier rounds, Dogadalski was an underdog, but she played solid tennis to easily beat her opponents and carry that confidence into the main draw.
Geier said Dogadalski’s diverse skill set makes her a valuable player in both singles and doubles matches.
“She’s got one of the stronger serves on the team,” Geier said. “She already has every shot in her toolbox, she can slice, drop shot, volley, come to the net and she has great hands in doubles. That’s not something every first-year comes in with.”
Geier said Dogadalski’s versatility and confidence are an asset for the Mountain Hawks.
The team now sets its sights on the spring season, aside from Forkner, who is competing on the national stage at the ITA Conference Master tournament in San Diego from Nov. 6-9.
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