The Longwood men’s and women’s tennis teams have wrapped up their seasons with commendable efforts, each securing seven victories during the regular season. The men’s team showed resilience in several closely contested matches, notably achieving a nail-biting 4-3 victory against Presbyterian and mirroring that score in a sudden-death win over the University of Richmond. Meanwhile, the women’s team faced challenges this season, failing to win a match in the Big South conference, although they enjoyed a memorable 4-3 senior day victory against George Washington.
Freshman Alexandra Magia has emerged as a key contributor for the women’s team, according to Longwood Director of Tennis Charlotte Clarke. Hailing from Athens, Greece, Magia came to the U.S. collegiate tennis landscape with an impressive background in junior competitions.
“She came in with a lot of junior experience, so she’s not someone who isn’t used to working hard and playing matches. I think the difference with her is she always wants to know how she can improve…she’s very accountable for her own improvement,” remarked Clarke.
This season, Magia earned the distinction of Big South women’s tennis freshman of the week on three occasions. “Having those moments and having those wins, especially against UNC Greensboro [when] I had to do the clinching point, and everyone [ran] to me once I won the match, was just amazing,” Magia expressed. Despite the team’s struggles this year, the rise of promising athletes like Magia offers hope for the future.
Leading the team, Magia, alongside junior Elizaveta Gnilozubova, each notched 10 individual game wins. Seniors Karina Rizvanova and Gnilozubova, both from Kazakhstan, boasted a remarkable 12-4 record in doubles, ranking among the best in the Big South.
With an international roster predominantly made up of students, Clarke has creatively navigated team dynamics. “Having a large international population on the team definitely affects our team culture massively,” she noted. “When you put that together, it widens the range of opinions, it widens the range of experiences, and it has pushed us to look at how we do things in a different lens.”
The Lancer men’s team, which also features mostly international players, experienced a season filled with ups and downs. After beginning the season with three consecutive losses, their trajectory fluctuated with multiple wins and losses. They showed exceptional performance on their home courts, securing a 4-1 record.
Notable victories included matches against Hampton, Norfolk State, and George Mason, while the team faced tougher opponents such as Virginia Tech, James Madison, and Navy, notably struggling against the number-one ranked Wake Forest team, where they suffered a 4-0 defeat while winning one doubles round.
The men’s team qualified for the Big South Tournament for the second consecutive year but was ultimately defeated 4-1 by UNC Asheville on April 17. Sophomore Petar Belosević, junior Timeo Puech, freshman Petter Lindquist, and graduate student Mauricio Gonzalez Paiva all recorded double-digit wins this season. Puech distinguished himself as a standout player with a 20-9 singles record.
Clarke emphasized the ongoing evolution of player pairings, particularly in doubles, which has been a focal point this season. “We’ve been working on doubles a lot this semester. [It] started off a little bit slow, [we] started looking at some pairs that we thought might work in theory, and then perhaps didn’t, and we changed those halfway through, and it’s been working really well for us,” she concluded.
“We’ve got a lot of depth in doubles now, and the players have put a lot of hard work in practice,” added Clarke, highlighting the strength that has developed within the team.
Overall, the men’s team displayed commendable growth throughout the season. Clarke observed that the team has cultivated a culture of teamwork, noting, “They look across the courts and see that people are fighting for a team victory, rather than just letting the same individuals take the point. [That] has been a big thing for us.”
