Sophomore Marta Lesniak was appointed team captain this year by head coach Lauren Meisner. Lesniak earned C-USA Player of the Month in October. Photo courtesy SMU Athletics
As SMU football is finally realizing its potential, winning games and gaining attention, several other SMU sports teams have almost been forgotten, despite their consistent victories and strong play.
Women’s tennis, led by newly appointed captain and Conference USA Player of the Month Marta Lesniak, has started off strong and won several matches as the team gears up to defend their title as C-USA tournament champions.
“Being the captain is both pressure and an honor at the same time,” Lesniak said. “It’s a position with a lot of responsibility, and I just want to help the other players with my experience.”
“Our talent is better this year and we’re bringing in some really good girls in the spring,” Lauren Longbotham-Meisner, women’s tennis head coach, said. “You can’t get caught up in what happened. These girls want to prove that last year wasn’t a fluke.”
Lesniak, now a sophomore, arrived at SMU in the fall last year virtually unknown, despite winning at the Cotton Bowl Classic. But that all changed in the spring when she led SMU in a surprising victory over No. 17 Arkansas. Lesniak played a big part in that match by downing then-No. 4 Aurelija Miseviciute in three sets.
“Marta didn’t just change our lineup,” Meisner said. “The chemistry of the team changed drastically. She brought in a very strong work ethic; she isn’t one to come to practice and lolly-gag around. This is her business, her job.”
That victory set the tone for the rest of the season, as SMU would go on to an undefeated season in conference play and capture the C-USA tournament for the first time in SMU history. The Mustangs had won regular season crowns during their time in the Southwest Conference, but have never won a tournament title. The Mustangs finished the season ranked No. 23 in the conference, and Meisner was named C-USA Coach of the Year.
In preparation for her sophomore year, Lesniak underwent fitness training to combat what she considerers her “weakness.” She also had two surgeries, one on her knee and the other on her wrist, and had to go through rehab. Because of surgery and rehab, she did not play tennis at all over the summer.
“I did a lot of rehab after my knee and wrist surgery,” Lesniak said. “I mostly did fitness training, but I didn’t get to play tennis for three months and it was hard to catch up. After the last tournament, I felt stronger and fitter but it’s always something I have to work on.”
However, her coach is quick to point out that, despite not playing for three months and going through two surgeries and rehab, Lesniak still managed to reach the quarterfinals of the Riviera Women’s All-American Tennis Championships and won the doubles championship at ITA regionals with partner Pavi Francis.
Now that the fall season is over, the team can start preparing for the spring season. According to Meisner, the fall season is not as important as the spring season and players use the fall season more as preparation than anything else.
“Each person just has to remain focused on their individual goals and as a team, they are focused on being a top-10 team and going for the national championship. Some girls didn’t have a great fall season but in reality, the fall season is only a small part of the season. The girls that did well just have to keep it up.”
For Lesniak, the goal is much simpler, yet much more difficult.
“As a team, our goal is to be the best team in the nation,” she said. “For me, as an individual, my goal is to win every single match I play in. The goal is going to be difficult to achieve but with the new players coming in and the talent we have, it is possible.”
Lesniak’s personal goal is doubly hard now that she is on the radar as a nationally ranked player, and every team that SMU plays will now be aiming at her. But, while she is aware of the pressure, Lesniak refuses to let it get to her.
“I can’t do anything about them except get on the court and prove my ranking,” she said. “There are now more expectations and more responsibilities of me, but I think I can handle it.”
Meisner knows that the team’s goal of being the best will keep them motivated and focused as spring creeps closer.
“We’re not the No. 1 team in the nation and until you get there, you have a lot to improve on,” Meisner said. “I’m fortunate to have my top players want to be the best in the nation. They don’t think about what happened yesterday or last year. They think about today and what they need to do better tomorrow.”
