Texas Wesleyan’s tennis team has high hopes for this season with new additions to an already strong squad.

After finishing last season as a runner-up in the NAIA Unaffiliated Group Regional Tournament, the Lady Rams are set to continue moving forward.

“Practices have been real strong,” sophomore exercise science major Maggie Brasher said. “We haven’t had any weak practices.”

The Lady Rams’ training proved able to prepare them for their first tournament of the season, last Thursday’s Oklahoma City Collegiate Open.

Four of the Lady Rams’ doubles made it to quarter-finals; the duo of senior business finance major Katy Foster and junior business major Loli Garcia got to the finals where they lost 9-8 to Seward County College.

Head coach Angel Martinez wasted no time getting the team back out on the court after last week’s tournament.

“We did great in doubles, but didn’t do so great in singles, which is what we are working on now,” Martinez said.

Competitions provide him with a way to self-evaluate and adjust the Lady Rams’ training as needed.

“The match went well, but you find your deficiencies, or what you did wrong as a coach and what you need to work on,” Martinez said. “As a coach, we are looking to get better every day, just like any other coach. I think if we do that everything will take care of itself.”

Martinez recruited some new players this year to add to his team’s depth on the court.

“Our international players Loli (Garcia) and Ema (Segetlija) are great,” Martinez said. “We have a great bunch of girls. We really welcome them, and they incorporate the type of culture we want to the team.”

Brasher attributes the team’s success to the addition of more international students to the team.

“Our foreign players are really good,” Brasher said. “They are in our top three. They make us a lot stronger.”

Sophomore education major Ashton Willis agrees.

“Our team as whole is stronger this year,” Willis said. “We have three new freshmen, one from Serbia, and one senior from Argentina.”

The Lady Rams’ next tournament match is set for Friday, Sept. 30, and Saturday, Oct. 1, against Ouachita Baptist University in Arkansas.  Follow the Lady Rams on ramsports.com.