University of Richmond Athletics
Q&A With Head Coach Steve Gerstenfeld
02/26/2001 | Men's Tennis
Feb. 26, 2001
RICHMOND, Va. - With three talented newcomers and five returning letterwinners, Richmond's men's tennis team is looking to continue to improve in the program's final season in the Colonial Athletic Association. Richmond hopes to build on a fall season that featured some outstanding individual performances. The team's head coach, Steve Gerstenfeld, provides insight in to what should be an exciting spring campaign.
Q: This year's team mixes a solid group of upperclassmen with some very talented newcomers. How is the team chemistry?
Coach Gerstenfeld: "Our team chemistry is stronger than ever. The guys are a close-knit and cohesive unit. They are genuinely enjoying each other's company both on and off the courts. In my eyes, that is a critical component toward having a successful spring season."
Q: Talk about the team's progress in the early stages of the spring campaign.
Coach Gerstenfeld: "We opened up with VCU and Old Dominion, who are both nationally-ranked. We competed very well against both of those teams. We went to first-set tie breakers at number one and three singles and at four singles, we split sets. We have played VCU ten or twelve times over the years and this season we competed as well as we ever have against them. That was a positive way to start the season. Against Old Dominion, we had a freshman, Nikki Doll, playing at number one. He split sets with their number one player. At number four, Danny Scrafford split sets against Old Dominion's number four. I thought we looked competitive and the performances were good against both teams."
Q: Does playing top competition early in the season benefit the team in the long run?
Coach Gerstenfeld: "Absolutely. In fact, a critically important bi-product of the competition is learning what the individuals or the doubles teams need to improve upon in order to compete at the top level."
Q: Are you pleased with the progress that the team has been making in the early stages of the season?
Coach Gerstenfeld: "We will fine-tune the lineup a bit, but to this point we have some things established. We have two freshmen playing in the top three spots, which is very exciting. Our freshmen are going to be an integral part of raising our program to the next level. As a coach, you try to bring in freshmen that can start for you and perhaps play high in the lineup. We've got a couple freshmen that are doing that right now. Nikki Doll has been playing at number one and two singles. David Donn has been playing number two and three singles. They have helped to jumpstart our program. A third freshman, Jeremy Howard, has earned a spot in the doubles lineup. Doubles is every bit as important as singles in this competitive college tennis format. Jeremy's contributions should not be discounted because he's only playing doubles and not singles. Of the eight members of the team, he's clearly one of the strongest doubles players."
Q: How will the program be impacted by the athletic department's move to the Atlantic 10 as an all-sports member in the fall of 2001?
Coach Gerstenfeld: "It is a very positive move in terms of my recruiting endeavors. I think we can be very competitive in the conference. One of the biggest selling points or attractions to playing tennis at Richmond is that we have a legitimate chance of winning the conference in our inaugural year. A move to the Atlantic 10 enables us to have a much better opportunity to earn that spot in postseason play. It is only going to help us in our effort to make the NCAA Nationals. In the interim, it is having a positive influence on my recruiting efforts. The move is not going to have a huge impact on our travel, but it might change our schedule subtly."
Q: What are your expectations as you prepare to enter the Atlantic 10?
Coach Gerstenfeld: "I think our expectations are high. Having said that, I also think that it will be a difficult challenge in our very first season if we have another young team a year from now. Depending on how young we are, I think it's going to be a challenge to win the Atlantic 10 Conference championship, but I think it's a very realistic and attainable goal. Competing against a defending Atlantic 10 champion with a young ball club will be a real chore."
Q: Please talk about the progress you feel the team is making.
Coach Gerstenfeld: "I'm enjoying helping my players more this year than I can ever remember. A major reason for that is that they are continually working hard on the practice courts. That's rewarding for me to see, in and of itself. We're not going to achieve the things we'd like to without that work ethic. The guys are doing a great job on the practice courts. The key thing is going to be keeping it up. It's a lot easier in the first three or four weeks to be motivated on the practice courts than it is in your 12th, 13th and 14th week. For us to be successful this spring, we have to maintain the same degree of motivation and work ethic on the practice courts that they've shown in the first month."
