Wash U Takes Fourth At Tennis On Campus Invite

Tennis on Campus is in full swing this fall! The 2019 USTA Missouri Valley Tennis on Campus Fall Invite took place at the Plaza Tennis Center in Kansas City on September 28-29, where St. Louis's very own Washington University took fourth place.

Sixteen teams from across the Missouri Valley section, and Arkansas, competed and put on a show of extraordinary competition and great sportsmanship.

We caught up with Wash U club tennis players Nick Perrin and Grace Klutke, both juniors on the team, to chat about their experience and what it was like competing in this tournament:

USTA.com: Share with us your experience competing in this tournament. How was it?

Perrin: It was a lot of fun! We saw some great tennis, very intense and it’s always a good time!

Klutke: It was a lot of fun to me too! I went last year as well. We got to see some teams that we played last year, and it was a really great tournament.

USTA.com: Who were your toughest opponents and what made them the toughest?

Perrin: I’d say our toughest opponent was probably Iowa State, who we played in the semifinal match. They had some really strong players. The other toughest opponent, who we lost to in the 3rd place match, was Missouri. Iowa State was a little tougher, but they were both really good teams.

USTA.com: How does your team push and motivate each other?

Perrin: We’re all very supportive of each other. We actually thought about and made a mascot for our team. We never get mad at each other for losing a match or anything like that.

Klutke: We really know each other very well on the team.

USTA.com: What is your favorite memory during the tournament?

Perrin: Grace and I were playing mixed doubles against Iowa State and it was a pretty fun match. It was very intense. Everybody was cheering from both teams and that was a fun experience, especially if you’re winning.

Klutke: I think my favorite memory from the tournament was when we were playing Iowa State. We ended up losing that match, but we had a lot of great matches. I think playing mixed doubles with Nick, since it was our last match, we really fought through it. I had a little bit more pressure during the match, which I like. The close matches are probably my favorite memories. 

USTA.com: What do you do to build team spirit?

Perrin: We like to say "Go Bears!” while we’re playing. I feel like we just have a lot of camaraderie as a team. Our respect for each other as people as well as teammates definitely helps build team spirit because we are rooting for each other as much as we are rooting as a team.

Klutke: I think just not taking the matches too seriously really helps.

USTA.com: What goals did your team have going into the tournament?

Perrin: I’d say the goal was always to win. We didn’t get 1st place, but we were pretty close. We got to the top 4 and there were a lot of very talented schools at the tournament. I think we did very well with the time we had there.

USTA.com: What are your future plans regarding  this tournament and in general?

Perrin: Grace and I are juniors and we will be at Wash U next year. I’m sure we both want to go back to the tournament again if we could. We’ll definitely be bringing Wash U Club Tennis to the tournament next year. I’d say it’s one of the most fun tournaments we go to as a team. 

Klutke: We would like to continue to bring our team and just having fun!

USTA.com: How is your team planning and preparing for future tournaments this season?

Perrin: I think it comes down to practicing match play. We have practices every week at Wash U and the more we play, the better we do in tournament matches. I think trying to make sure that we get as many people that want to go to tournaments as possible also helps.

Klutke: We have quite a few club tournaments. We usually do these tournaments once every two weeks. We are about to go to Nationals in North Carolina in the next couple of weeks, so just continuing to play is the key. 

The 2020 USTA Missouri Valley Tennis On Campus Section Championship will take place this upcoming spring, where Wash U can be expected to be seen competing hard yet again. Good luck, and play hard!

To learn more about Tennis on Campus, visit the Tennis on Campus website or contact Scott Howes at howes@movalley.usta.com to learn more about Tennis on Campus opportunities within USTA Missouri Valley.