Women’s Tennis Rack-et’s Up Victory
The Whittier Women’s Tennis team has been doing exceptionally well recently. On Feb. 17, they won 6–3 against Lewis and Clark College. This is the team’s first win in “almost [a] year,” with their last being against Wheaton College in March 2023.
Senior Keely Arendt and sophomore Malvika Suryavanshi won 8–7 over the top team at Lewis and Clark, giving them a 3–0 advantage into the singles tournament. Alongside this dynamic duo was the team of senior and captain Maci Davis and freshman Chanel Zeraatkar (who was just named SCIAC Athlete of the Week, making her the “first Whittier women’s tennis player to earn the honor in four years [and] also the first freshman in program history to be recognized”), who defeated the opposing team 9–2. And finally, senior Manasvi Vardham and sophomore Monze Meraz-Lerma helped the Purple and Gold, winning 8–3. The Purple and Gold ultimately garnered the win by “splitting singles play with the Pioneers to complete a 6–3 win.”
Zeraatkar rallied 1–6 in the first singles but pushed through with a 6–4 rally in the second before winning the tiebreaker 10–7. Then, Arendt won 7–5 and 6–2, with Vardham winning 6–3 and 3–1. Zeraatkar feels “amazing” to be part of such a historic win, even with such a tough match. “When I won the matches, I got so happy that I started to jump around, and being here playing college tennis is a dream coming [true].” These feelings are coupled with her being awarded SCIAC Athlete of the Week. “It feels weird in some ways because you put in a lot of work and effort, and you just assume that no one notices; that’s why I was surprised and extremely happy.”
But the work is not stopping here for Zeraatkar and the rest of the women’s tennis team; The season is just starting. The young player is “excited” to play more matches (and get closer to her teammates.) She is striving for the “Newcomer of the Year” award, saying that she will do “anything [she] can to get it” — except sacrifice her mental health. “Tennis is a hard sport, and you don’t only have to work on getting physically stronger on the court, you also have to work on your mental side. I believe that every athlete with a strong mentality is the one who goes the furthest in their sport.” This means not giving up with any setbacks but using these difficulties to become stronger.
Suryavanshi and Davis share similar sentiments, with Suryavanshi stating that what most excites her about this season is “to have the opportunity to compete against strong opponents, to improve as an individual on and off the court, to create more memorable moments and achieve new milestones with this wonderful team.” Davis continues this idea, saying that coming in as a student in 2020, the tennis program, like other departments, took massive hits: “We had trouble adjusting with a whole new team and a new coach. It was easy for us to compare ourselves to other teams that were twice the amount of people with a strong program.” Even the past two seasons for the team were “rough due to major changes,” according to Davis. But this win is a step in the right direction, showing their hard work, positive chemistry, and resilience– and Davis could not be happier. “I am so proud to be a part of the struggles, changes, and achievements. I am so happy and honored to be captain for my senior year.”
The students are not the only people excited about the rest of the season. The tennis team recently acquired Jackson Boxall (along with Isabella Lopez) as their new coach, and he is just as thrilled about the new season. But even with such fire, the tennis team is hard at work. Boxall wants the team to “Keep focusing on the change of mentality.” “We’ve had a chance[s] to take matches we have not been able to before; they’re settling into that idea. And they are becoming more comfortable in match play. They want to become the best players they can be, and I’m here to ensure they get that experience.” But it takes a village to support the tennis team. Boxall calls upon the Whittier College community to attend the next game. “[The energy from the student section] fuels this team when they see their fellow Poets cheering them on.”
The next Women’s tennis match is at home on March 9 at 9:30 am versus Vassar College. Come out and support this winning team!
Photo Courtesy of Action West Photography.
