TAMPA, Fla. — The Hillsborough College Hawks have cracked the code.
This tennis team has figured out how to dominate at the national level. And they’ve done it by bonding as a team, something that is not common in a sport that is very individualized.
“They’ve always put the team first over individual success,” head coach Sarah Lytle said. “And I think that’s what made this team really special.”
That selfless approach helped the Hawks bring home another national championship, their second straight.
It’s their fourth overall championship. And a lot of the credit goes to a strong sophomore class.
“We had five sophomores, five returning sophomores come in, and they have just changed this program,” Sarah said.
One of those sophomores, Salomea Jasiczek said she grew up playing tennis but never experienced the benefits of team play until she got to Hillsborough College. She quickly learned the benefits of the team-first approach and how it can lead to big things. And because of that approach, she gets to leave Hillsborough College as a back-to-back champ.
“I think the team spirit from the very beginning, coaches tried to teach us what a team really is, how we should be supportive and also how we should work together as a team,” she said.
With this latest national title, it’s definitely puts Hillsborough College in the dynasty conversation. And it also puts them in the three-peat conversation.
“I wish I could soak it in a little bit longer, but right now, my mind is already on Aug. 1 and getting our new group of athletes in and starting again,” Sarah said.