The team is currently playing at a high level after shutting out both Syracuse and Virginia Tech last weekend. Coach Jenny Mainz said the team is not letting a successful start alter its approach.
“We treat each match as the next one on the schedule,” she said. “We try to keep things in perspective.”
Sophomore Danielle Spielmann said she is looking forward to getting back out on the court in front of the home crowd.
“Home matches are a huge advantage for us,” she said. “Knowing that we have people who believe in us, that’s going to be a huge plus for us.”
The women’s tennis team wants to improve going forward and feels it can elevate its level of play going forward by playing more aggressively than it has been, starting this weekend with TCU.
Aggression is not something reserved for opponents. Sophomore Erin Routliffe said the way the team approaches practice is important.
“If you can’t bring it on a practice day then you can’t bring it on a match day,” Routliffe said.
That approach seems to have worked for Alabama so far especially in doubles play where the team is shortening sets by winning early games. Three of the four winning sets were finished in eight games. The other was a 6-4 decision in favor of Alabama.
Mainz said the team’s success is possible because of the attitude the players had upon returning from winter break. Their dedication allowed the team to play at a higher level than she expected at this point in the season. Now the team just has to continue to build on its hot start.
“We have got a lot of work in front of us,” Mainz said.
