The Florida A&M Lady Tennis team has worked to improve its game in preparation for a dominating spring season. With the UCF game coming up, the team has been honing its skills strategically.
Nikki Goldthreate, head coach for the women's tennis team, said the team has improved its fundamentals to stay sharp.
"You have to start with our foundation; that's where the footwork comes in. With consistency, we just need to get more balls in the play. I think we've improved a lot with staying focused on those two things," Goldthreate said.
Opening the season with a tough team like University of Central Florida will affect the future of the teams' success.
According the Goldthreate, the squad always starts with tougher teams because it challenges the team mentally, keeping them on the right track.
Last season, FAMU suffered a 7-0 defeat against UCF as they collected victories in singles and doubles. The Rattlers said they won't be making the same mistakes again.
"During the pre-season, we've improved on being more competitive with each other during games and practice time. Our main goal is always to win a MEAC championship, but I think we definitely have to go through it one team at a time," Goldthreate said. "We're looking to improve each match that we play. The more we do it, the better we'll
The team has improved on levels other than strength as well. Sagni Williams, a first-year biology student, said she played a few games on a sprained ankle, but her dedication allowed her to continue practicing.
"I look forward to ‘beasting' this year," Williams said. "I want my teammates to do well and make an impact on our
Co-captain Britney Dean has also worked to improve her athleticism.
"I have more patience, and my mental state has gotten better. Before, I was trying to get the point too soon. The objective is to get more balls in than the other opponent, and with me not being patient I got frustrated and couldn't do that," Dean said.
She said the Knights don't faze her, as she still has faith in her team.
"They're not so tough," Dean said. "As our mental strength improves, I feel like there's no team we can't