Tennis will enter the Atlantic 10 Championships Wednesday, relying on their season of experience under first-year Head Coach George Rodriguez to close out the year on a positive note.
The Colonials’ record has fallen from 11-10 last year – when they advanced to the third round of the A-10 tournament – to 8-10-1 this season which has been marked by inconsistency before a strong finish this month. The team is riding momentum from a trio of wins over conference rivals Dayton, Rhode Island and Saint Joseph’s in April – success they are hoping to carry into the postseason.
“The mindset for this last stretch is to leave it all on the court,” Rodriguez said. “Give it all you have, no matter what the score is, no matter what’s going on, we want to play with no regrets.”
To begin their regular season, the Colonials dropped three straight matches in early March, coming up short in battles with VCU, Georgetown and Delaware. The team snapped their losing streak on March 14 with a resounding 4-1 win over George Mason, defeating the Patriots in all three doubles matches to secure the first point.
Since then, the squad has gone a 4-3 run in conference play. The Colonials started off hot in April with a 4-2 win over Rhode Island, disposing of the Rams without the need for any doubles play and winning four of six singles matches to close out the A-10 victory.
Rodriguez has pushed the team late in the season to improve their doubles play as a “morale booster.”
“I tried focusing a little bit more on doubles these last couple weeks to try to get us the doubles point, just as a morale booster for us,” Rodriguez said.
Juniors Stella Wiesemann and Gabriela Giraldo have partnered at the No. 1 doubles flight all season and have been assets to GW’s overall performance on the season. Giraldo said positive communication throughout their matches and complementary styles of play have factored into the team’s late-season momentum.
“We complement each other really well on and off the court,” Giraldo said. “We have really good chemistry that definitely carries over to our games and our type of play.”
For Wiesemann, who plays both number-one singles and doubles, a consistent pre-match routine that includes a good night’s sleep and plenty of hydration helps her focus on what she can control. The junior, who hails from Jena, Germany, said she has honed in on her forehand, allowing her to play with depth and create opportunities where she can “dominate the game” with powerful topspin shots.
Both Wiesemann and Giraldo captured wins in their singles matches in the team’s 4-3 win over Dayton April 15. To secure the winning singles point, senior captain Sarah Bodewes defeated the Flyer’s Laura Greb in three sets, scoring the winning point for the team after dropping the first set 4-6.
“That match, she started off a little slow,” Rodriguez said. “We talked some things over, and she really picked it up when we needed it. And she adjusted her game according to the opponent in that match.”
Bodewes, along with fellow senior Lara McNaughten, both graduate this May, leaving them with one final tournament to wrap up their four-year GW careers.
“The biggest piece of advice I’ve given them is to enjoy the process,” Rodriguez said. “Enjoy the journey. Cherish every moment and finish as strong as you can because this is the last few matches for them.”
Rodriguez joined the program in September after former Head Coach Torrie Browning departed following the Colonials’ 11-10 finish. In his first season, he has focused on individual player development and tactical adjustments mid-match. He uses a player-by-player philosophy to bring out the best in each athlete, individualizing his approach to best suit different playing styles.
“Each person comes with a different coaching style,” Rodriguez said. “They were taught differently, coached differently. Each person has a different personality. So I work really hard at really trying to individualize my approach for each person.”
On Saturday, GW suffered a disappointing 4-0 loss to Fordham but rebounded on Sunday with a 6-1 takedown of St. Joseph’s, bumping the conference record to 5-4.
The conference tournament, played in Orlando, Florida, begins Wednesday and wraps up with the final championship match Sunday. Despite the losing record, Rodriguez holds high hopes for the final competition, emphasizing the higher energy levels and buzz around the season’s culmination.
“Making sure that we finish off as strong and on a positive note and with a lot of energy, that’s why I love the A-10’s at the end,” Rodriguez said.
