Defending their title

By Connor Mahoney SPORTS EDITOR

The University of Indianapolis women’s lacrosse team brought home the NCAA Division II National Championship on May 22, 2022, according to UIndy Athletics. Months later, the title defense began on Feb. 11, 2023, with the Greyhounds winning 18-1 against Concordia University, St. Paul. Graduate student defender Kara Antonucci said the team has a hunger to compete for another championship, especially the chance to retain the title at Key Stadium.

“Our top goal is [to] win another national championship…especially [since] we’re gonna be hosting it this year,” Antonucci said. “It would be really awesome, especially for me, and I know, the older girls [too], [to] win our last games on our field.”

In her first season with the Greyhounds, Women’s Lacrosse Head Coach Elaine Jones said the hunger to win is something you could see more of as the season goes on. Similarly, Jones said she has seen the competitive spirit and wants to win within the team in her quick time on the team so far.

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As of The Reflector press time, the University of Indianapolis men’s tennis team is 8-0, according to UIndy Athletics. The team has been traveling to different schools to obtain their current undefeated record.

Playing in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) tournament this indoor season has been a large focus for the team resulting in large amounts of preparation, according to senior UIndy tennis player Tom Zeuch. They started with exhibition matches with NIS schools to prepare for the tournament. Playing against NIS schools helped the team gain confidence after winning all their matches, Zeuch said.

“It’s a better feeling than just practicing against a teammate and it is always a little bit different if you have competition,” Zeuch said. “So, we wanted to start this season with a lot of wins, which we did.”

UIndy hosted the DII ITA Indoor Team Championship from Feb. 17 to 19. According to Tennis Head Coach Malik Tabet, being able to host the ITA is a privilege, and it is good for the team, the university and the surrounding area. Last year, they were lucky enough to host the tournament as well.

“Having those teams that we never see in this region come and also showcase their skills and to bring the top 18 teams in the country into Indianapolis, it is definitely a special thing to have,” Tabet said.

With the team having a high DII ranking going into the tournament, they had their own goals in mind putting the rankings aside, according to Tabet. They are a close team with comradery and team spirit, Tabet said.

“The joy that those kids want to spend time together and play for each other, that is a special thing to have in a team,” Tabet said. “The most special teams [that] I have had in my tennis career have always been when the teams play for each other; I see that with both programs.”

According to Tabet, the overall goals for the team are to win the conference, qualify for the sweet sixteen, and go to a national championship. The women’s side went up in the semifinals last year and the year prior the men’s were able to make it to the semifinals. This year they want to be able to reach these goals as a team, according to Tabet.

“They are sharpening the tools the way everybody is doing. They are playing with a very high confidence right now and they know what they are capable of and they know their strengths,” Tabet said. “And it’s just a matter of going out there and playing.” Zeuch is on his last season at the university, and he said he is looking forward to ending it on a good note and leaving with a conference win, as well as a national championship.

“I am really excited but sad at the same time because it’s my last year here,” Zeuch said. “I’m a senior, I came here in 2019 and those four years went by so fast. So, I am really looking forward to ending it on a good note to leave my footprint.”

Zeuch and his doubles partner, Edgar Destouet, won the DII ITA’s Doubles last October, according to UIndy Athletics. Before the tournament, according to Zeuch their biggest strength as a doubles team is trust.

“Let’s say if I had a bad game or I don’t really feel that good and I’m making a lot of mistakes, I know that he will find a way to push me through adversity and also help me out to get myself in a better position to help out my body language,” Zeuch said. “And it’s the same thing for me, if I feel like he’s not really having a good day today then I’ll be there to tell him.”

“[The team is] all bought into wanting to defend their title and repeat as national champions. They’re committed, they work hard at practices,” Jones said. “I think they all understand that it’s going to take a lot to achieve their goal, but they all know what the goal is. And so they’re drawn together by this is, this is our end game, this is our goal. They’re working hard even from day one to achieve that.”

Jones said she has warned her team about competition wanting to defeat the champions. Therefore, the team will have to be prepared for these challenges to come.

“I’ve told them they have a target on their backs, no more than the Division I or Division III champs…” Jones said. “Everyone wants to be the one to dethrone the champions. And you have to have a really mentally tough mindset, you have to know what you’re going into…, and so when you step on that field, mentally and physically, you have to be prepared and ready to battle.”

In order to reach this point again, Antonucci said the team has focused on growing together on and off the field. Having each other’s backs has been an important key to success, according to Antonucci.

“I definitely [feel like] [we have] done everything we can to keep this team close,” Antonucci said. “And not only close on the field, [but also] off the field, making sure everyone’s involved, no matter if you’re a freshman, or a fifth year, we’re always together… We’re trying to build a new culture, and a very positive together[ness] kind of culture.”

In addition to building the culture of the team this year, Jones said they have been working on stick skills to prepare for the season. Adjusting to new challenges and changes has been at the forefront of the season, according to Antonucci and Jones.

“I think getting them in game shape [is the most important thing]; first and foremost, stick skills, we’ve been working on that, and then shoring up our offense, defense [and] our draw positions,” Jones said. “Obviously, they lost a really talented draw taker from last year, and so who’s going to fill in that gap over 200 drawers is a lot and [they] also lost some big scorers… So adjusting to a different way the offense might have to run is something we’ve been focusing on. I think the defense is strong, obviously led by Kara [Antonucci] and Audrey [Moran] in goal, which I think is great. So, I think we’ve been focusing on every aspect of the game as best we can, starting with fitness.”

Jones said at the end of practices she asks her team about how they thought the practice went based on a scale of one to 10. If there are low numbers on how practice went, she said they try to fix those problems.

“I always check with them at the end of practice, ‘How do you think you did today? Where are we on a scale of one to 10?,’” Jones said. “If I’m hearing fives and sixes, I’m like, Well, that wasn’t good. We haven’t had [a] five. You want to be up there, I think 7.5 eights nines. That’s what we’re working towards.”

Antonucci said that she has been thankful for those involved in the program in the years she has been here. Since tasting victory in the national championship, Antonucci said she is looking forward to competing to win the championship again.

“I think it’s also great, having those older girls who would have done that [won] the championship, so we can kind of bring the younger girls with us… come along and we hopefully can all do this together,” Anontucci said. “It definitely is though once you do it you want it again because you know you can… It takes hard work and if you love the game and you have a passion for the game, putting in that hard work isn’t really hard work. It’s just doing something you love every day.”