It’s no secret that the Marist Women’s Tennis team has faced the lowest of lows and major adversity. Coming off two straight last-place finishes in the MAAC and going an abysmal 0-12 in conference play over those two seasons, the tide is finally starting to shift.
A new voice entered the locker room after the hiring of Director of Tennis Nathaniel Horner, and a spark lit under the team. Marist finished 4-4 in MAAC play and a much-improved 11-8 overall record, their highest win total in 12 years.
“I wasn’t here last year, so I don’t know, but it sounds like there were always a lot of loose ends. Even if we have a loose end, we end up tying it back together at some point. I think it’s allowed the ladies on the team to play for each other, but also has allowed them to play more freely, which I don’t think they’ve had yet,” said Horner.
The last time the Red Foxes made the playoffs was 2019, but this team has better depth and more star power. Both sophomore Caterina Assi and junior Cloe Clements Sorde made the All-MAAC Singles second team.
This season, they head into the playoffs as the No. 6 seed, getting ready to take on Niagara. These two teams met earlier in the season, and it did not fare well for the Foxes as they were defeated 6-1.
“Niagara didn’t do anything special. We just had a bad day. I think since that match, we’ve had other experiences where we’ve learned to find a way to win despite not playing the best,” said Horner. “So I think we’re going to fare a lot differently, and I personally think we’re going to win.”
Leading the way for Marist is the dynamic duo of freshman Viktoria Lorentzon and senior Ellen Zureick. As a pair, they have won eight of their 13 doubles matches and will look to continue the hot streak against Niagara.
“I just think Ellie and I bond outside so well, and I look up to her as a senior. I think that helps a lot because we don’t get mad at each other on the court,” said Lorentzon. “We don’t express any bad negativity. So I think it comes from getting along outside the court, which leads to success on the court.”
As the match date is set for Friday, April 25th, at 2 p.m., Horner has another major task to face as he is dealing with a fairly young team with no playoff experience. “I feel like usually when our mindset is good and we focus on one thing at a time, it has produced some pretty good results for us. So I think a lot of the talk this week has just been to work hard and beat Niagara. If we stay true to that one goal, we will get the result we are looking for,” said Horner.
It has been a long season for Marist, and they once again came out of the gates slowly, getting off to a 0-2 start in the blink of an eye. This year’s group was different, though, and knew it was a very long season.
“One of the things that we’ve really tried to talk about this year is not having to react to the adversity as much. I feel like a lot of times when we’ve played, we’ve reacted a little too emotionally. All these moments have built up to now and given us all the confidence in the world for these playoffs,” Horner added.
Horner shines with confidence, and it has rubbed off on his team. Even with a loss to Niagara earlier in the season, they believe they are the better team and have the talent to beat them.
The stage is set, and now it is up to this Marist team to respond. It has been a rollercoaster over the last decade, but the Marist women’s tennis team has progressed in year one under Horner. Now, they look to continue his successful first season at the helm and get their first playoff win since 2018, and first MAAC championship since 2013.
Edited by Marley Pope
Graphic by Quinn DiFiore; Photos from Marist Athletics
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