By Kaitlyn DeHaven | Digital Managing Editor
The Baylor women’s tennis team is on the road Thursday as they take on the Texas Tech Lady Raiders in Lubbock. Following this match, the team will have a doubleheader against UTSA at home this weekend.
The Bears have faced their fair share of adversity this season. They are 6-17 and a bit short-handed, which has required a lot of the women to step out of their comfort zones. Both head coach Joey Scrivano and some of the players said that while on the outside, these losses may seem that they’re getting the team down, they are realistically growing and challenging the team.
“It’s definitely pushed our student athletes to the brink,” Scrivano said. “But, they’ve done a great job. They’re handling it very well, and they’re improving greatly.”
Scrivano said their emphasis on the process, rather than the wins or the losses, is what keeps the athletes motivated and having a good time, regardless of the scoreboard.
“It’s all about improvement,” Scrivano said. “I think that’s the secret to our success over the years is that we’re very process-oriented.”
Scrivano noted that two of the players who have impressed him most throughout this season have been junior Jessica Hinojosa and sophomore Livia Kraus. Last year, Hinojosa and Kraus were playing in the No. 5 and No. 6 spots. This year, they are playing in the No. 1 and No. 2 spots, and they’ve been extremely close to defeating some of the opponents they’ve been up against. Hinojosa said they’re good enough to give these top-tier athletes a challenge.
“We’ve been so close,” Hinojosa said. “To know that we were right there, and we just need to fix some little things is motivating.”
Hinojosa and Kraus have the best individual records on the team. Kraus is 17-10 while Hinojosa is 15-11. However, each has struggled in conference. Hinojosa is 1-4 and Kraus is 2-3.
Kraus said that it’s nice to know that they aren’t losing matches because they’re not prepared or they’re not good enough. She said they leave their all on the court, and so the overall results of the match often don’t affect them as much as they could.
“Every match is a new match,” Kraus said. “We always have to look forward. We know we’re doing the right things. We’re doing the right things, and we’re getting better.”
Scrivano noted that their process doesn’t have a lot of sizzle for the outsider: Review, reflect, getting feedback and preparing for the next opponent, but he said it’s the key to their success. He said the attention-to-detail that he and the athletes show is what is going to bring them to the next level.
“Ultimately, it’s all about the process and it’s about measurable success,” Scrivano said. “I think if you can do that, you can deal with success well, and you can deal with failure well.”
Texas Tech is 14-5 on the season and holds the No. 29 ranking in the country. Baylor holds the all-time series over the Lady Raiders 26-17.
