Northwest Missouri State University  bearcat tennis team have been shut out 0-7 in their last two games against Drury University and the University of Indianapolis. The reason might be from the lack of outside practice, but the new Hughes Fieldhouse offers the best indoor option for the team.

 

With the cold weather and snow in Maryville, Missouri has forced the bearcat tennis team to practice inside the Hughes Fieldhouse. Prior to this year, the tennis team would practice in the lower gym of Lampkin where they had to split time with track and baseball. With the Hughes Fieldhouse tennis, track and baseball can practice at the same time when the weather is forcing the teams indoors.

 

Tennis head coach Mark Rosewell said, “This is much better in here rather than Lampkin, no doubt about that,” Rosewell said, “Surface is a little slower, lighting is better and there is a lot more room.”

 

With the spacious Hughes Fieldhouse, there are two tennis courts. There is one in the beyond the north endzone of the football field and one beyond the south endzone. During practice, the team usually warms up with four people on one court.

 

 

Rosewell, in his 35th year as Northwest head coach, has 1,066 career victories at Northwest which is the most by any coach in any sport. His career record is 1,066- 507, that is a 68 percent winning percentage. Rosewell has 26 MIAA Regular Season Championships split between women (12) and men (14). He has also won nine MIAA Tournament Championship split between women (1) and men (8).

 

The number one for the women’s team, Tania Teruel, season goals were to make it far past regionals. Teruel said, “We wanted to reach the postseason rather than past years losing in the first round,” Northwest lost to Washburn in 2018 and lost to Nebraska-Kearney in 2017.

 

Practice for the women’s tennis team is all they can to get better. Bearcat women’s tennis team Practices in the Hughes Fieldhouse when it is cold or the tennis courts are not playable.

 

With the tennis team losing to Drury and Indianapolis in the last matches, “We went up against top 10 teams, which is very good for us to play better teams to make us better,” Teruel said.

 

Graduate Assistant Romain Bissinot has been through the struggles by practicing in Lampkin and being able to assist players now on the team who practice in the Hughes Fieldhouse.

 

“It is a lot different playing in the indoor rather than the court,” Bissinot said, “In here the ground slows the ball rather than outside it keeps its true speed.”

 

Northwest first home game is slated for Saturday which opens a six-game homestand with three of the games conference games with Missouri Western, Emporia State and Washburn.