The Shippensburg University women’s tennis team has been putting together quite an impressive run lately.

The team has won three of its last five matches, and is currently on pace to make its first playoff appearance in years.

“It’s been great for us to get some wins,” said SU head coach Emily Maerz. “The team has exceeded my expectations. Going into the season I didn’t really know what to expect but I had high hopes. Everyone has really stepped up and raised the bar for Shippensburg tennis.”

The team has caught fire under first-year head coach Maerz, who has helped the team turn the season around in singles play.

“Everything has gone way better than I really could have dreamed of,” Maerz said. “It’s been great to get to know the girls individually and to get to know the team to bring in a new attitude and culture. Everyone has been welcoming, all the coaches have been welcoming and everyone has been supportive. Everyone has really bought into what I’ve tried to bring in as a first-year coach.”

The team has relied upon the success of senior Emilie Luttman, who was honored with the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) East Division Tennis Athlete of the Week award last week, becoming the first player to earn the recognition in more than 10 years.

Luttman contributed two victories last week, including a 6–4 and 6–3 win at No. 3 singles.

“It was the first time someone [from SU] won the award in over 10 years,” Maerz said. “It was a huge honor for her and the whole program. She is our leader and our captain and she sets the tone for our team. For her to get that honor is great. It’s a real honor to be recognized by the conference.”

The team has done a spectacular job of righting the ship in spring play, as the team has improved its record to 4–7. The length of the season, however, has proven to be a challenge.

“In the fall its a non-traditional season, which prevents us from practicing everyday,” Maerz said. “We do have matches that count. In the fall I got to know them and introduce them to a new system, but we weren’t able to go all out. In the spring we stepped it up and did some conditioning to open up the year.”

The turning point in the season was the team’s win against Shenandoah University on Feb. 25, giving SU its first win of the year.

“It was critical for us to get that win,” Maerz said. “Because we got that win we were able to build off of it.”

The Raiders can earn a playoff berth if they defeat Millersville University on Saturday. The match will be SU’s final regular season match. The match is set to begin at 1 p.m.

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