After a rain-soaked week in southern California, the sun is finally shining, but the rain clouds still hover over Biola tennis. Both the men and women’s teams are still seeking their first win of the season, though both squads have given valiant efforts.
The rain was literally over the women’s team (0-6, 0-4) on Feb. 19th when they lost to University of Alberta; the game was shortened due to the weather conditions. Although the girls still wanted to play, they were playing cautiously, letting balls go by that they would normally play.
“Safety is more important than finishing a match,” said coach Dee Henry, “even if they came from out of the country to play us.”
The women also suffered losses to Cal State Bernardino, Master’s, Azusa Pacific, Point Loma and Westmont.
The men (0-6, 0-3) have also fought hard, yet lost their last five games, falling to Claremont, Azusa Pacific, Point Loma and twice to Westmont.
There are a few bright spots in the gray weather. The top two Biola men, senior Tyler Jung and junior Colin Snow, are playing well, despite not picking up many wins. Senior Justin Mart at No. 3 won his match against APU and nearly pulled off another at Point Loma. Others, like freshman Dan Westman, are seeing improvement in their abilities as the season progresses.
Also important for the tennis team is community and playing with integrity. Freshman Ryan Adams says that on the court, since there are no referees, they make their own calls, even being honest when it’s disadvantageous to their game.
Off the court, players with down time cheer on their teammates.
“The team is very supportive of each other,” Adams said.
Freshman Kristen Williams earned wins at Master’s and Point Loma for the women, while freshman Sarah Snyder also won at Master’s. Junior Marisa Flores fought for and won her drawn out game against San Bernardino (3-6, 6-4, 15-13). Sophomore Kelli Shiroma picked up the lone win against Westmont in dominating fashion (6-0, 6-0) and received a default win against APU along with Flores and Snyder.
The women’s team coach, Dee Henry doesn’t see the goose egg in the win column as a failure.
“The world focus seems to be on the win or loss of the competition,” she said after the loss to Master’s. “This coach believes there is much more to a contest than the score … the most important is to see how each experience contributes to becoming the person God intended.”
For instance, when her players compete, she sees life skills learned: endurance, perseverance and playing smart. These skills, she believes, will serve these women in life.
The women’s next game is on Friday at 5 p.m. hosting the University of La Verne. Saturday afternoon, both teams face Fresno Pacific at home, the men at 1 p.m. and the women at 2 p.m. The weather forecast indicates both days to be free of rain.
