May 18, 2023
Just the Beginning, Tennis Sets High Standard in '23
By Francisco Claudio
It was an amazing 2023 season for the Westcliff women's tennis team.
First, they finished the season with an overall record of 14-4 and a conference record of 6-0 which was an improvement from the previous season.
Westcliff was the only team who remained undefeated in the GSAC standings which naturally earned them the No.1 seed heading into the postseason tournament.
Then they went on to compete in the GSAC Tennis Tournament and blew past every team standing in their way.
That earned them the GSAC Conference title in their second year as a member.
This week they traveled to Mobile, Alabama, and competed in the NAIA Tennis Championships for the first time in the program's short history.
Westcliff got past the first round as the only lower-seeded team to win over a high seed.
This set up a meeting with the No. 3 seed in the second round which would be the biggest challenge for the Warriors this year.
And although the Warriors couldn't get the win, there is much to be happy about and look forward to with this program.
They have put their names on the map and are going to be a force to reckon with in the GSAC conference and at the national level.
"I am most proud of the team spirit and how humble the women's team competed," said Assistant Coach Michael Longanecker. "Their energy was high and they really wanted it.
"I told them that all of the coaching staff is very proud of them. This is only their second year as a team and they have accomplished something most teams never do in their second year."
"While it was disappointing to lose in the second round, it was to a very established team at a national level and we sure made it hard on them," said Longanecker.
In his first year coaching at Westcliff, Longanecker is very proud of how everything came together and everyone peaked at the right time, as a team.
"My first year with Westcliff has been wonderful," said Longanecker. "I have been coaching for a long time, and I have to say that the team culture here is very healthy.
"We have had moments where a player wasn't their best, but because of support from the team that same player was able to bounce back the next day and play like an MVP."