Men’s and women’s tennis are welcomed this fall as the two newest teams on campus. Both teams are practicing hard as they begin their inaugural year headed by Coach Charlie Ellis.
“I have come from the corporate world of tennis club and fitness club management. My management of clubs has gone back as far as 18-20 years,” said Coach Ellis, “I feel very fortunate to be working with Skip Lord and Matthew Webb; those men have been extraordinarily supportive of me.”
Under Ellis’s direction, the women began their training two weeks prior to classes along with the rest of the fall athletes, while the men started training this past week. The women have competed in several matches already and are 2-3 overall. While there are thirteen women on the team, not all are able to travel for every match.
“This is a tennis team and even the ones that aren’t playing on that particular day are still important, even the ones that don’t go on the road trips,” said Coach Ellis, “This is a group of girls who have come together and they have established a relationship with each other that is unprecedented. They are extraordinarily supportive of each other to play as a team and to serve their Lord.”
“For almost all of us, it is our first time being a Houghton athlete,” said junior Molly Freihofer, “So while we have had to learn a lot, the process of forming the first women’s tennis team was something we were all excited about and have really enjoyed.”
At a tournament, six single matches are played and three doubles, each counting as one point. Thus, there is a total of nine points to be earned in a college tennis match. The winner must win five or more of those points.
The women were down 4-1 against Medaille on September 5th, but fought to win each subsequent game. The men have played one match thus far, against Penn State Behrend. It was a close competition, as the men lost 5-4.
Junior Brennen Campbell expressed the men’s goals: “To have the highest overall team GPA of Houghton Athletics, to make an impression on the opponents that we face throughout the season, and to build the Houghton tennis program to be one that will be recognized as a competitive Empire 8 program.”
Each player has come in with a different level of playing experience. While the teams are training athletically to improve and fine-tune their skills, they are also encouraging each other spiritually. The women have devotions led by chaplains and prayer partners, while the men emphasize prayer before and after they meet to compete.
“The team has been getting along really well. Everyone’s personality works together to form the disciplined team that we have this year,” said Campbell, “No matter the skill level, everyone is willing to help improve their fellow teammates.”
“They have responded very well to my coaching, my direction, as well as the understanding that we are about to embark on another journey, of Houghton tennis,” said Coach Ellis, “And we want to set a culture and footprint off the right foot. The girls and boys have responded very well to understanding the gravity of that.”