Penn women’s tennis embarked on a spring break trip to San Diego hoping for a string of wins but came back reminiscing about something quite different.
The inevitable team bonding on a long west coast trip proved to be a more important takeaway than their 1-2 record for the trip.
“I know it’s a cliché, but what stood out the most was the team experience, which is extremely positive and can only help,” coach Sanela Kunovac said.
The Quakers escaped East Coast weather and traveled to the University of San Diego Invitational on Thursday to compete against three teams over three days.
On the first day of the contest, Penn was swept 7-0 against its host, San Diego.
Kunovac, however, was proud that the team faced a challenging opponent and did not stop competing.
“We are a young team playing against a nationally ranked team in their home court, and outdoors,” she said. “These should have been recipes for disaster. Instead, they were a step in the right direction for us.”
After the hard loss, the Quakers returned the next day to defeat Portland, 4-3, in a fierce match that the coach identified as a real testament to the teams spirit.
On the final day of competition, Penn fell to San Francisco 4-0. The team’s record dropped to 4-8 on the season.
While the Quakers know they have to improve, the tournament provided the squad with a new perspective.
“Knowing that your teammates are fighting with you shoulder-to-shoulder, literally court-to-court, is really going to help us coming into the Ivy season,” Kunovac said.
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