Q&A with Williams head coach Alison Swain

For the third Maroon City Q&A of the week heading into Tuesday’s Quarterfinals, defending champion Williams’ head coach Alison Swain got back to us commenting on her team and what it takes to get through the tournament.

MC: How is your team feeling about reaching the quarterfinals?

AS: We are thrilled to be in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Championships.  At this level, teams are very even and extremely competitive. We feel like we have worked hard this year and had some solid results against the top teams, but we never take being in the final 8 for granted.

MC: What do you think your team has done best to get to this point?  What are your team’s strengths?

AS: I believe our team is a very athletic, hard working group.  We are also a very close knit team and work well together to bring home the successful results we have had thus far this year.  In Division III, it really is about loving being on the court and competing each day.  If you don’t love tennis, you don’t get very far as a team.  I’m proud of the dedication and respect that each of my player’s bring to the sport.

MC: What do you need to do to advance?

AS: I believe that every team brings an extra bit of competitive fire to the tournament.  It really doesn’t matter if you have a beat a team before or if they have beat you.  On the given day, your team has to play confidently, smart, and aggressive in order to advance to the next round.  It really becomes about how a team responds to pressure moments.  You have to expect every match to be 5-4 and you need players who are not only willing, but want to be that last match on.

MC: What do you think the toughest challenges are going to be?

AS: Obviously, coming from Massachusetts, I think the weather conditions are going to be a challenge.  From my experience too, there are always challenges that are just hard to anticipate.  It could be weather, it could be an injury, it could be how a team is feeling on a given day.  Its hard to anticipate, but at this point in the tournament, a team has to find a way to compete their best whatever the circumstances hand them.