Serving with Style

A liberal arts and communication school in the heart of downtown Boston might seem like an unlikely place to find athletic success, especially in tennis. One of the most notoriously straight-laced sports, some students still think this is true because they are unaware of Emerson's tennis teams and their successes.

“I know it’s there, but that’s about it,” said Katie Purcell, a Marketing Communication major, Class of 2013.

“If it weren’t for that article on e-Campus about the women’s team [and its Fall 2009 season], I wouldn’t have known we even had a team,” said Samm Leska, a Television Production major, Class of 2012.

But the Emerson Lions' tennis teams certainly have a place among the competition. The women’s tennis team closed its most successful season yet this fall. The team gained four players and has gathered steam since its Fall 2008 season, when it had a roster of only seven women.

“We lost some matches last year that we won this year,” said Erika West, a Writing, Literature and Publishing major, Class of 2012, and member of the women’s team. This group also improved its performance in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) tournament during the Fall 2009 season. After winning the first round tournament match against St. Joseph’s College 9-0, the team buckled down and focused on pulling out a victory against Suffolk University. Though Emerson narrowly lost 4-5, West said the team was happy with their improvement.

The men’s tennis team has also had its share of success and achieved second place in the 2009 GNAC last spring, losing the title to Suffolk. “We’re one of the best teams in the conference,” said William Abeles, a Studio Television Production major, Class of 2011, and member of the men's team. “I’d be shocked if we didn’t win the GNAC this year.”

But there is more to Emerson Lions' tennis than its success. The teams also keep in line with tennis' rules of etiquette.

“You don’t want to slam your racquet down or curse," Abeles said, because it’s poor form.

And the manners don't stop there. It's also important for players to make honest calls. "Since we don’t have line judges at the college level, all the calls are on your honor," he said.

Cheering to support each other instead of cheering against the opposition is another way the players exemplify decorum. “Other teams have different approaches in terms of cheering, but I think Emerson does the best job of staying classy but keeping each other pumped up,” West said.

Even Emerson tennis fans are courteous. “You’re supposed to cheer between points," West said. "Some [fans of] teams will yell across courts, so if one match is going on and a point is made at the next court over, people will yell and justify it with the match on the other court."

Not Emerson fans, though. The team and the fans alike keep things classy. But just because fans have to be polite doesn’t mean they must sit in silence and hide their enthusiasm. “I think there’s a misconception that with tennis, fans have to do the golf clap," West said. "But you can cheer and scream in between points."

Both teams are looking for more fans who are interested in being a part of the class act that is Emerson tennis. “People need to know that tennis is a really interesting sport and that we do exist,” West said.

The teams are feeling optimistic after their recent successful seasons. “I’m really excited about the sport and the team,” said Eliza Hamilton, a Communication Studies major, Class of 2013, and member of the women’s team. “It’s going to be tough next year because we’re losing our number one and number three [players], but we’re still going to work hard."

"Hopefully our success this year will get people to come out next year,” she added.

Fans riding in spirit vans to and from select matches don’t have to worry about cold or rainy weather because the Lions play on indoor courts.

Look out, Quidditch! Tennis could become the next “it” sport on campus.

This article is featured in the winter 2010 issue of em magazine at Emerson College