ETSU men’s tennis team is familiar with success. Last year the netters let the A-Sun title slip away in the title game. “Nobody expected us to lose,” Felix Insaurrable said.
Insaurralde is a senior who played on two Southern Conference championship teams. “We work hard for coach (Yaser) Zaatini in practice, but it is worth it,” Insaurralde said.
There were some chemistry problems on last years team according to Insaurralde but those issues have been resolved and the Bucs are focused on an Atlantic Sun Conference championship.
Zaatini is proud of the way his team has performed so far in preseason tournament play. “My philosophy is you play every match like it is a final. Every match is a fight. If you don’t approach it like that you are cheating yourself, me and the team,” Zaatini said.
A player’s attitude is likely the most important part of their on the court performance. Zaatini’s assistant coach agrees, “We have to show up every match,” Johan Dorfh said.
Dorfh says the team is not looking too far into the future but want to position themselves for success in the spring.
“Fall is preparatory for the spring. Usually you just take one match at a time, but everything leads up to the conference tournament,” Dorfh said.
Buccaneer tennis is getting back into the swing of competition this fall but the athletes have more than just matches to keep them busy. “Sometimes after a tournament you want to go to sleep, but you have to start reading for an assignment,” Insaurralde said.
Insaurralde says balancing tennis and school work is challenging, but he wouldn’t change a thing. “Playing for coach Zaatini is a great experience,” he said. “The work is worth it, you can see the results.

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