After a year of growth and overcoming challenges, the Purdue Northwest men’s tennis team is wrapping up a successful season and looking forward to a tournament run.

With two weeks of regular play remaining, the team has already matched last year’s 13 wins and for the first time was briefly ranked in the top 20 nationally. 

“We developed a lot as a team, created better bonds and became much better teammates,” said Joao Martins, a junior majoring in Mechanical Engineering, who has played with the team for three years. 

Last season, the squad was filled with freshmen. But the year of play has matured players.

 “We’re more prepared and have developed both on and off the court,” Martins said.

Adapting to the indoor courts of Northwest Indiana was a challenge for some players, especially the Europeans, who are accustomed to slower clay courts. 

“The courts are much faster than we were used to,” Martins said. “But after a year of playing, we got used to it and it’s showing this season.” 

A key factor in the team’s success has been a shift in mindset. 

“We used to have too much respect for the bigger teams. We already went into matches thinking we were supposed to lose,” said co-captain Alex Miguel Van Lumich, a sophomore double majoring in Mathematics and Statistics. “That mindset has completely changed. We realize we’re not that far from the bigger programs.” 

Leadership has been crucial for the team to get to this point in the season. 

“As a captain, you always have to set the example,” said Van Lumich, in his second year on the team. “The guys look up to you, and it’s important to lead by example.” 

Head coach Selenay Heper believes the team’s chemistry has been key to their progress. 

“I think the biggest thing is that it was a new team. Every player was a freshman, almost, so they kind of got better together,” Heper said. “They clicked well and became best friends. So the team dynamic is really strong. 

“When you all get along, I think everybody just picks each other up to get better,” she said. 

Looking ahead, the team is focused on its goal to make a deep run in the conference tournament. 

“We want to make it to the conference final and ultimately the regional tournament,” said Heper. 

Van Lumich is eager for the competition.

“I would say the guys are more confident. We are more used to what college tennis is. I think we have a different mindset,” he said. “We used to have a ceiling of where we could go. Now we have broken that ceiling.” 

Poised to begin conference tournament play on April 25, the team remains focused on staying humble and working hard. 

“It’s harder to maintain [success] than to get up there,” Heper noted. “We have to keep competing every day.”