Junior Madina Vorotnikova despite her valiant efforts and the efforts of her teammates have not managed to win a conference match this season. The Lady Lions overall record is now 3-9.
File photo/The Lion’s Roar
The Lady Lions tennis team’s losing streak continues with its ninth straight loss at Abilene Christian. These losses saw the team’s overall record slump 3-9, while the team has yet to win against a conference opponent.
Abilene Christian produced a better performance than the previous year and is one of the stronger teams in the conference.
“Last year, we beat them,” said Head Coach Jason Hayes. “So, we knew this year, they were gonna want their payback. They’re a very strong team, probably one of the top three teams in the conference.”
The new environment under which the team had to play did not help the Lady Lions’ cause to win.
“When we got there, the wind was in excess of 25 miles an hour,” said Hayes. “There’s a rule that says if it’s over 20, then you have the option of going indoors. We went indoors and that was a very good atmosphere for them and very bad for us.”
Despite the loss, Hayes thought the team fought hard in their games.
“I thought that the girls played hard, but with our injuries and the fact that we’re playing in an indoor facility we were not used to, it was a very bad combination,” said Hayes. “If you factor in our injuries, them being very good and the atmosphere they were in, we were gonna lose. I wish the scores were more competitive but they were just a better team. The girls fought, they played hard. It just wasn’t gonna be our day.”
Hayes also gave an update on the injuries of three of his players.
“As of right now, it is very doubtful that any of the injured girls will be back,” said Hayes. “Two of them for sure will not be back and the other one it’s very doubtful that she will be back.”
However, Hayes wanted to focus on the players who were playing.
“I don’t want to focus on the injuries because the girls who are playing are fighting as hard as they can,” said Hayes. “They’re representing Southeastern with great effort and tremendous amount of sportsmanship. Right now, we’re just not good as the teams we’re playing.”
Hayes also pointed out the areas the team could improve on.
“We have a great attitude,” said Hayes. “Physically, we’re playing hard. Right now, we’re playing against better teams and we’re positive and we’re fighting. The problem is that when we step out on the court, there are very few matchups that favor us. So, I think the word that we need to use the most is that we need to continue the fight and believe that our ability is equal to our opponent.”
The team looks to build some confidence and get the wins from the upcoming four home games.
“These next four matches we play, we have several opportunities to win,” said Hayes. “We need to have that attitude that we’re going to win. If we can get a couple of wins, we’ll get a little more confidence. It doesn’t matter how much physically you try, if you don’t believe, it won’t happen. So, that’s gonna be really important to us. A little confidence goes a long way.”
The support from Lady Lions fans will be appreciated in the home games.
“On April 3rd, we’ll have free jambalaya,” said Hayes. “The more help we get, the better it is. The girls are always gonna fight for Southeastern. I mean they love being a lion and any support they have, it’s just gonna give a little more to get that victory.”
