The arrival of spring doesn’t just bring sunshine, it also marks the end of the tennis season for Whitworth’s men’s and women’s teams. However, the end of the season isn’t always a negative, as season lessons are learned, team relationships are built and goals for the future begin to take shape.
For the men’s team, they finished fifth in the Northwest Conference, just missing the playoffs by one spot. Still, the team celebrated key wins, including sweeps of Willamette (twice) and Spokane Community College. Three players, Henry Preacher, Matthew Morrison and Ryan Ashley, earned Second Team All-NWC honors for the regular season.
The team was relatively young, with seven of the twelve rostered athletes being first or second years. Looking ahead, juniors Henry Preacher and Colby Cinqmars are set to return next year, providing leadership and experience to help guide the developing roster toward a playoff appearance.
Emmanuel Nguyen, a senior who transferred to Whitworth after his sophomore year at Bellevue College, reflected on his time with the program.“I really appreciate the camaraderie we have built over these past couple [of] years that I’ve been here,” Nguyen said.
A personal highlight for Nguyen was competing on Senior Day. “Just being able to get on court and compete with the guys was definitely a moment I will remember,” he said.
The women’s team advanced to the postseason, securing a playoff berth before being eliminated by Whitman in the semifinals. In addition to their performance on the court, the team maintained close relationships off the court.
“I’d say we’re very close as a team… I think all of us would say that we’re kind of each other’s closest friends here on campus,” said second-year Audrey Judson.
First-year Hannah Wells added, “We do a lot together. We do Bible studies, we eat lunch and dinner together.”
Tennis is a unique sport in that while it’s team-based, athletes also compete against their teammates for match time. For the women’s team, the bonds they built off the court helped navigate this dynamic with grace.
“I think being close to each other and having that close relationship, even when you have to play each other, is important,” Wells said, “Like someone’s going to lose at the end of the day, and just being close has really made that easy.”
Now, with both teams shifting their focus to next season, there’s plenty of optimism. Each squad will only graduate two seniors, meaning most of the roster and the chemistry they’ve built will return.
With the majority of both rosters returning next season, the foundations of teamwork and sportsmanship built in the 2024-25 season are expected to carry forward. As preparations begin for next year, both Whitworth’s men’s and women’s tennis teams look ahead to continued development and competition for the 2025-26 season.
