From No. 58 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings to No. 2 in the West Coast Conference with the second-best overall score, the Lions have shown they are a force to be reckoned with this season as they continue to dominate on the courts.
In what has been the best start in program history with a 12-1 record and a winning percentage of .923, the LMU men’s tennis team has displayed top-tier collegiate play in what has been the most successful nonconference season yet.
On an eight-game winning streak, player Max Wuelfing shared how the team’s preparation has gotten them to where they are now, entering the West Coast Conference (WCC) at No. 2.
Wuelfing attributed the team’s success so far to the preseason training and communication with his teammates. What was meant to be the team’s offseason was instead used to train and prepare for a historical season.
“Even before school started, before we even met some of the freshmen, we were in a group chat keeping everybody updated with what we were doing. Keeping busy, how we were training and what tournaments we were playing,” said Wuelfing.
With a successful season in the making comes intense pressure and expectations for the team to win the WCC and make the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championship. As a team, it’s about knowing how to apply the pressure in a way that builds confidence.
“We go into each match the same as if we were 1-11 versus 11-1,” said Wuelfing. “We know we have a streak; it’s hard not to think about that. We really do try to just go match by match and approach each weekend as if nothing had happened in the first place.”
It’s all business on the court, but teammates continue to remind each other to have fun and enjoy the season as it’s coming to an end for some.
For Wuelfing, it’s not only the success as a team that he carries, but his own success as a singles and doubles player, too. As a solo player he is a dominant force out on the court with a personal record of 11-1. As a duo pair alongside senior Alex Padro Parra, they share the same record of 11-1, proving Wuelfing’s talents across the court.
Wuelfing and Parra may be a doubles pair now, but they have shared the court since they were 15 years old, after meeting in Parra’s home country, Spain. In what is now his last season at LMU, Parra has not only stayed persistent with a personal record of 9-2,but has also learned to take in every moment left on the court.
“Even in intense moments, we find a way to not put pressure on each other and have a little more fun with it, because it’s his last year … he’s doing a really good job of enjoying it, and I’m enjoying sharing the court with him in his last couple of months,” said Wuelfing.
Sharing the common goals of the West Coast Conference and the NCAA championships, the team continues to push each other towards success as they work together to achieve them.
Besides the strong chemistry between Wuelfing and Parra, the entire team has worked together to build a stellar season so far. The shared goals of winning the NCAA and the WCC have contributed to the team’s success as they continue to be a force out on the courts in the remainder of their season.
“We all really want to be good. We want to challenge each other; we get into it sometimes, but it just makes us tougher,” said Wuelfing.
So far, determination has paid off, but the season isn’t over yet. The Lions will open their WCC play this weekend against the University of the Pacific on Saturday, March 28, and Saint Mary’s College on Sunday, March 29.