As we enter into that weary, arduous stretch just before final exams, we might expect the Grinnell men’s tennis team to tone down some of its intensity. 

This is, after all, a team that won 78 of its 81 conference matches. This is a team that decisively defeated both Lawrence University and St. Norbert College despite the absence of its top two players.  This is a team that organized Erotic Deception. 

Surely this pattern of perfectionism can’t be sustained, not in the dregs of spring semester amidst looming tests and daydream weather. Surely this team will soften, lose some of its precision, and relinquish some of its focus. It has to—right?

Wrong. Dead wrong. Any intimation of late season faltering was put to rest last Saturday when the team swept both Monmouth College and Knox College to capture a 10th consecutive Midwest Conference South Division title. The pair of weekend victories also marked the twentieth win for the team this season. 

“What I’m most happy about is the fact that we were able to spread out play last weekend and we played 11 players in the varsity lineup,” said Head Coach Andy Hamilton. “We’re trying to promote depth and we’re trying to create good experiences for all our varsity players because, ultimately, some of those players will need to step into regular playing roles next year.”

Having graduated a number of impact players in recent years, the Pioneers know all too well about the necessity for a full bench of able athletes. They can take some comfort in the knowledge that of those 11 varsity players who dominated the courts last weekend, seven were underclassmen. Of those seven, three were freshmen. 

 “I think we are deep,” said co-captain Juan Carlos Perez ’11. “We’ve been able to develop some of the freshmen this year who have taken spots in the lineup in singles and doubles. Our sophomores have also been doing great. Obviously after freshman year you learn a lot and they came out really strong this year.”

This Friday, the Pioneers will get an opportunity to test the extent of their depth as the team travels to Wisconsin to participate in the Midwest Conference Championships (MWC).  The Pioneers have won six consecutive MWC Championships and look to continue the streak, despite their long list of graduated players.  “It’s supposed to be much harder to win this year,” said co-captain Alec Moore ’11. “The pressure is on us because we lost some of our better players and we need to show we deserve to win it.”

Undeterred by the pressure, co-captain Sam Raife ’10 remains confident that the widespread talent of the team will fully compensate for any lost players.

“The conference tournament has always been the highlight of every season.  It’s three days of intense play and I think we have a really good shot going into it this weekend.  Guys all the way through lineup are playing well, freshmen have found their confidence and we’ve played a lot of matches against a lot of tough teams outside conference play which has also prepared us well,” Raife said.

For Raife, the team’s only senior, the upcoming weekend is especially meaningful.  Along with his final Midwest Conference Championship comes the opportunity to win a fourth team championship, a fourth Midwest Conference singles title and a third doubles championship.  

“I believe there have only been six or seven other players in the history of the league to [win four Singles titles].  And the league is about 80 years old,” Hamilton said.  “In my time as a coach at Grinnell, there’s only been one other player who would have walked away with 11 championships and that was Nate Fox who graduated in 2009 and went on to be an All-American at national tournaments.” 

Raife and the Pioneers begin matches for the 2010 Midwest Conference Championships on April 30 at 9 a.m. in Madison, Wisconsin.

Surely this pattern of perfectionism can’t be sustained, not in the dregs of spring semester amidst looming tests and daydream weather. Surely this team will soften, lose some of its precision, and relinquish some of its focus. It has to—right?

Wrong. Dead wrong. Any intimation of late season faltering was put to rest last Saturday when the team swept both Monmouth College and Knox College to capture a 10th consecutive Midwest Conference South Division title. The pair of weekend victories also marked the twentieth win for the team this season. 

“What I’m most happy about is the fact that we were able to spread out play last weekend and we played 11 players in the varsity lineup,” said Head Coach Andy Hamilton. “We’re trying to promote depth and we’re trying to create good experiences for all our varsity players because, ultimately, some of those players will need to step into regular playing roles next year.”

Having graduated a number of impact players in recent years, the Pioneers know all too well about the necessity for a full bench of able athletes. They can take some comfort in the knowledge that of those 11 varsity players who dominated the courts last weekend, seven were underclassmen. Of those seven, three were freshmen. 

 “I think we are deep,” said co-captain Juan Carlos Perez ’11. “We’ve been able to develop some of the freshmen this year who have taken spots in the lineup in singles and doubles. Our sophomores have also been doing great. Obviously after freshman year you learn a lot and they came out really strong this year.”

This Friday, the Pioneers will get an opportunity to test the extent of their depth as the team travels to Wisconsin to participate in the Midwest Conference Championships (MWC).  The Pioneers have won six consecutive MWC Championships and look to continue the streak, despite their long list of graduated players.  “It’s supposed to be much harder to win this year,” said co-captain Alec Moore ’11. “The pressure is on us because we lost some of our better players and we need to show we deserve to win it.”

Undeterred by the pressure, co-captain Sam Raife ’10 remains confident that the widespread talent of the team will fully compensate for any lost players.

“The conference tournament has always been the highlight of every season.  It’s three days of intense play and I think we have a really good shot going into it this weekend.  Guys all the way through lineup are playing well, freshmen have found their confidence and we’ve played a lot of matches against a lot of tough teams outside conference play which has also prepared us well,” Raife said.

For Raife, the team’s only senior, the upcoming weekend is especially meaningful.  Along with his final Midwest Conference Championship comes the opportunity to win a fourth team championship, a fourth Midwest Conference singles title and a third doubles championship.  

“I believe there have only been six or seven other players in the history of the league to [win four Singles titles].  And the league is about 80 years old,” Hamilton said.  “In my time as a coach at Grinnell, there’s only been one other player who would have walked away with 11 championships and that was Nate Fox who graduated in 2009 and went on to be an All-American at national tournaments.” 

Raife and the Pioneers begin matches for the 2010 Midwest Conference Championships on April 30 at 9 a.m. in Madison, Wisconsin.