Lehigh women’s tennis competes in shortened fall season

Driven.

That’s the word women’s tennis head coach Sophia Geier used to describe this year’s team through the first half of the collegiate split season.

In the fall, the team primarily focuses on individual play. Geier said that although the team had a very successful season last spring, reaching the Patriot League semifinal before falling 4-0 to Boston University, it struggled with injuries, illnesses and lineup changes.

She said the players are entering this season more experienced than last year, showing high development, competition and consistency.
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Senior captain Maggie Forkner and first-year Claire Macedo have demonstrated these qualities. Forkner won the A Flight doubles main draw with junior Alina Shyani and the Singles A Flight Back Draw. Macedo won the C Flight singles draw at the Navy Invite on Sept. 18-20.

The team’s success this fall started over the summer.

Forkner said even though women’s tennis doesn’t return to campus in the summer to train, the players are expected to follow summer workout packets and play tennis competitively a minimum once or twice a week.

She said balancing training while working two jobs prepared her for her academic and athletic balance this fall.

Macedo said she trained three to four hours a day, lifted at least three times a week and ran as much as she could to uphold the team’s standard.

“The team and the coach are really hungry to do better than we did last year, because we’re always out there to win every match, especially in the postseason,” Macedo said. “I think as a freshman, I personally feel like I have a lot to prove.”

Macedo attended online school for six years after COVID-19 to have a more flexible schedule for tennis. She said adjusting to a new tennis team, living in a dorm and learning in a physical classroom has been challenging, but Lehigh’s resources have helped with that transition.

Forkner said she’s noticed that the other first-year tennis players, Gabby David and Margaux Devaul, have been adjusting as well.

“They bring a lot of talent,  hard work and personality to our team, and I think having them on the team has been nothing but a green flag so far,” Forkner said. “They each are amazing tennis players, but also great people.”

Macedo said the upperclassmen have made the transition easier as well. She said their older teammates helped them move in, and made group chats to help them adjust to college life.

Geier said she’s impressed with the first-years so far. She said she’d been coaching a team of returning tennis players, so she appreciates how they’ve embraced the challenge of switching from junior tennis to collegiate tennis.

The fall schedule is crucial for easing into the switch.

The schedule has a maximum of five matches, so not every player is on the court each match. Less commitment in the fall gives first-years time to adjust to managing their time and completing college-level coursework.

​Geier said she implements a chip system in the fall and spring semesters to allow more flexibility. Each player has three chips per semester that they can use for an excused absence from practice, no questions asked, to alleviate the pressure of being a student-athlete.

She also said she fosters communication, with her players.

​“If you do struggle with something, if you do have an issue, if you feel like you need more time to finish something, you have to talk to me,” Geier said. “We can always figure it out. There’s always a solution.”

​The fall schedule also helps the team situate singles and doubles lineups and foster team chemistry.

​Geier said it’s difficult to make singles or doubles lineups without seeing the first-year athletes play with the rest of the team. The fall season gives players time to compete and for her to see what works for the team.

​Forkner said tournament-style singles play is slightly awkward for players used to college tennis dual format, as they aren’t playing for a team score and are playing athletes from various schools. She thinks it helps first-year students who are more used to individual play from junior tennis.

Both Forkner and Macedo said they, and the rest of the team, are honing in on their doubles game this fall. She said this time is used to figure out formation and who they compete best with.

​“Doubles has been a struggle for our team in the past, and so we’re all trying to really use the fall to work on doubles pairings, what works for us, trying to figure out formations and who we compete with the best because the doubles points can really determine the momentum of the match,” Forkner said.

​Even if they aren’t competing as a team in the fall, Forkner said the team always cheers for everyone, hangs out between breaks and checks in on each other through competitions.

​Geier said the team chemistry has been great this season and credits Forkner and the other captains, Shyani and senior Audrey Harrington, with fostering a competitive and supportive environment.

“I think they genuinely like being around each other, and that does show up on the court,” Geier said. “They’re very supportive in practice and in competition, no matter if they’re on the court or on the sidelines.”

Macedo said when her teammates are done for the day, and even if they lost all their matches, they always stay engaged and supportive until the end of the tournament.

​“It’s a really good sign to see all of these people supporting you, and I’m not fully used to that, so it’s great,” she said.

​Geier said she’s content with the overall effort and competitiveness of the girls, but headed into the spring, they need to work on “big moments.” These are often third-set tiebreakers, serving and returning.

Forkner said she wants to enjoy her last moments with the team during her senior spring. She has been focusing on connecting with the first-years and performing her best in the fall, to translate into a successful season in the spring.
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​Macedo said her goal for the spring season is to understand herself as a person and a student so she’s mentally and physically ready to be the best athlete she can. She said she’s gotten better this fall, and she’s feeling confident for the spring.

​Forkner said she’s looking forward to playing doubles matches and growing closer as a team so when they have really tough matches, they trust each other to get the job done.

She also hopes to take down either Boston University, Army or Navy, who consistently dominate in the Patriot League.

​“Being in the top three in the Patriot League and at least taking down one of the big three teams would be absolutely huge for our team,” Forkner said. “It would show that we continue to grow every single year as a program, that five or so years ago, wasn’t even on the map.”

​Geier said she’s confident in the team’s conditioning and skill and their continued growth.

She said the team is the most connected it’s been since she got to Lehigh.

​“You didn’t choose Lehigh because it was going to be easy in school, and that’s the same for the tennis court,” Geier said. “It’s not going to be easy, and we have to be okay with that. And we still have to find positives even on a bad day.”