It’s one thing to have lofty goals, but it’s quite another to have the talent to make those goals a reality.
The Lawrence University women’s tennis team has some big goals for this season, but the Vikings may just have the talent to pull it off. Led by a solid group of returning players and an influx of talented newcomers, the Vikings are off to a 5-0 start.
“We want to make a pretty good dent at the (Intercollegiate Tennis Association Regional) later this month and let other schools know that we’re not messing around,” Lawrence coach Kevin Girard said. “After that, our goal is to win the Midwest Conference and make the NCAAs.”
Lawrence, which hasn’t won a MWC title since taking back-to-back crowns in 1985 and 1986, finished fourth in the league a season ago. The Vikings also captured the No. 1 doubles title with Beth Larson and Jennifer Roesch. Along with Larson at No. 1 singles and Roesch at No. 2, the Vikings also returned Gayatri Malhotra at No. 3 singles and Carla Schmidt at No. 4.
Three newcomers, freshmen Christina Schaupp and Hannah Geoffrey and sophomore Polly Dalton, have taken over the bottom half of the lineup.
“Once our recruiting class was established, Beth, Jenni and Guyatri worked pretty hard over the summer because they knew they were going to have to fight for their spots in the lineup.” Girard said. “The freshmen have pushed the upperclassmen and vice versa. It’s worked out pretty well. It’s a good dynamic.”
Schaupp, a former star at Green Bay Notre Dame, Geoffrey, Larson and Malhotra have yet to lose a singles match this season. Schaupp, who was named the MWC Player of the Week, has also teamed with Geoffrey for a 4-0 record in doubles.
“I knew we had a good squad going in, but I didn’t know what to expect from the newcomers,” Girard said. “We’re looking pretty good. I’m excited.”
The Vikings have a total of seven new players on the squad, and Girard said he would be confident putting anyone in the lineup.
“When we did challenge matches, they all beat each other up,” Girard said. “It’s not just those three (Schaupp, Geoffrey and Dalton) – we definitely get pushed from the back end and work our way up. They’re all very talented. It’s a nice lineup.”
Girard’s team sent a statement in the first match of the season with 5-4 victory at Carthage College, a team that has won three College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin titles in the last decade. It was Schaupp who clinched the victory by winning a three-set match at No. 4 singles.
“It meant a lot,” Girard said of the win over Carthage. “It’s the first time I’ve played Carthage since I’ve been here. … It was nice to go in there and sneak out a victory.”
And the opposition definitely took notice. It was the first thing out of Edgewood College coach Ben Oestreich’s mouth when the Vikings traveled there a few days later.
“We went to play Edgewood, and their coach said, ‘I see you guys knocked off Carthage,’ ” Girard said. “It’s all good. We’ve got to beat the teams we’re playing right now and our goal is still to win the conference.”
A helping hand
When storms ravaged large parts of Appleton on Sept. 2, the Lawrence football team turned out to lend a hand.
About 25 members of the football squad responded to a volunteering opportunity to clean up limbs and brush near the campus. The Vikings were able to help clean up the yards of about 15 homes in the areas around the campus.
“We know that some of the people we met had never been to a LU game, but they will be there (in the future),” said senior defensive lineman Eric Follett.
Stevens runs to honor
Lawrence cross country star Sam Stevens was named the MWC Performer of the Week after winning the St. Norbert College Tom Barry Invitational on Sept. 3.
The junior from Suamico covered the four-mile course at Colburn Park in 21:02.7 and won by 13 seconds. It was the first individual title for Stevens, who has earned All-MWC honors in each of his first two seasons. Stevens led Lawrence to a third-place finish in the team standings.
Editor’s Note: Inside LU Athletics is a weekly notes package written by Lawrence University Sports Information Director Joe Vanden Acker. It will feature teams and individual players, recap weekly awards or highlights and take a look at what’s ahead for the Vikings.