Nine months ago, the entirety of the Southwestern tennis program stood around the tennis court, cheering Emma Kesterson as she played the clinching match against Trinity University for the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) Championship. 

The celebration and support were a stark contrast to the scene at the most recent ITA Fall Regionals, where players from multiple other teams convened around Southwestern matches to root against the Pirates. 

"It was definitely weird. In the past, everyone was against Trinity, and now you can tell the target is squarely on our backs," team captain Alli Ziehm recalls. "Whenever we'd play a Trinity opponent, even UT-Dallas was there cheering for Trinity."

And so, Southwestern women's tennis enters an entirely new world where they've gone from hunters to the hunted. 

"I told the women it was the ultimate sign of respect when you have people with different uniforms all sitting together rooting against you," Southwestern head tennis coach Billy Porter exclaims. "It's different, and we're taking a different approach. We've banned talking about last year. We're not using the term defending champions. The only thing we're talking about from last year is the experience we've gained and the size of the bullseye that has increased."

Southwestern spent years building towards a season like last spring, winning the program's first conference title, clinching its first NCAA Tournament appearance, and making a tournament run to the Elite 8, falling against the eventual national champion. Though most of last year's regular lineup returns, the Pirates enter the 2022 season in uncharted waters. 

"I didn't know what to expect heading into the fall from a mentality standpoint. We kind of achieved this David vs. Goliath approach a few years ago, and I didn't know if there'd be a sense of accomplishment or entitlement," Porter says. "But the constant hunger and drive this group has had not to be satisfied and continuously raise the bar has been the most refreshing aspect of this year's team." 

Southwestern enters the spring season having reached new milestones in the Fall ITAs. Emma Kesterson and freshman Lydia Lee advanced to the regional singles semifinals to earn national rankings at No. 39 and 50, marking the first time the program has two nationally-ranked players in the same ranking period. The regional doubles championship was also an all-Southwestern event, with Kesterson and Ziehm edging out Nina Mitrofanovaa and Lee to become the program's newest All-Americans. 

"It was honestly one of my favorite moments of my college career," Kesterson says. "Just being out there with Alli…winning was amazing. Doing it with my best friend made it 10 times better." 

That friendship, and the closeness of this team overall, is one of the defining aspects of this group of players. 

"This team really likes each other. We do not lack personality, and a lot of times when you have big personalities, you're going to have differences," Porter says. "I told them it terrifies me how close they are because it can be difficult to hold each other accountable when you're worried about disrupting that special bond they've built. We want to use our closeness to our advantage, not our disadvantage." 

The bond is driven by a quartet of juniors in Taylor Despriet, Kesterson, Mitrofanova, and Ziehm, who have racked up big-match experience and pushed the program in the short time they've been at Southwestern. The junior class has combined for four All-American honors, a Fall ITA Regional Doubles and Singles championship, four All-SCAC selections, and five SCAC All-Tournament Team selections. 

It starts with Ziehm's leadership. Entering her third year as team captain, Ziehm has the ability to hold her teammates accountable and push back against her coach without burning any bridges.

"Coach Porter got lucky with our class," Ziehm jokes. "All four of us are very hardworking players. If you go to the tennis courts any time of day, there's a good chance you'll see Nina working so hard. And Emma and Taylor have this intense, intimidating energy I've never seen before in our matches. I'm blessed to be in this class with them." 

Mitrofanova is Southwestern's most decorated player, having become the program's first two-time All-American last season after finishing as the No. 20-ranked singles player in the nation. 

"She's always been good, but the biggest thing is how much she's improved as a teammate," Porter says. "This is the first team she's been a part of, and each year she's given more of herself to being on a tennis team."  

Despriet has been a solid presence in the doubles lineup and will be counted on near the top of the singles lineup. 

"I see Taylor Despriet stepping up. She's been a two-year starter and is very versatile. She's played singles only, doubles only, both, or neither," Porter says. "The way she played in the fall, we're very hopeful for her to be a consistent starter near the top of our lineup." 

Kesterson was solid in the middle of the lineup last year, going 9-2 with an 8-2 record from the No. 3 spot. 

"It's big that we have four in the junior class who are all starters from the last two seasons," Porter says. "All four of them have a wealth of big-match experience." 

Sophomore Sydney Wahl also returns after an undefeated first season, finishing 14-0 with a 5-0 record against scholarship programs last season. 

"She joined us for our first match against Angelo State last season, and it was a surprise. We had no idea how good she was. We got lucky with her," Ziehm recalls. "I remember meeting her for the first time, and she was as quiet as a mouse. Now, she talks all the time, and it's just completely different. I love her on and off the court." 

Southwestern also added another solid recruiting class in Lauren Chisholm, Erika Synoski, and Lee. Chisholm is one of the team's most athletically gifted players and just needs to catch up to the speed and IQ of the college game. Synoski formed a potent doubles team with Despriet before suffering a knee injury that will keep her out this season. And after a strong showing in singles and doubles at the ITA Fall Regional Championships, Lee is expected to step in and contribute right away. 

"Lydia is the future of Southwestern tennis. She's a superstar with a great attitude," Porter boldly exclaims. "This first year, she'll probably be a middle of the lineup player for us, but she has All-American potential and captain material written all over her. So we have very high hopes for her."

Southwestern also has Chandler Vrba, a former SCAC All-Tournament selection, in reserve as part of a senior class that includes Sara Le and Meeshti Shethia. 

"After winning a first conference championship, you'd think there'd be pressure to go win it again, but there isn't," Kesterson says. "It's more about putting in the work again to reach our goals, which are more process than result-oriented. We're only concerned about playing our best tennis by the end of the year." 

The team will undoubtedly be battle-tested when the conference tournament hits with possibly the most challenging schedule in program history. The No. 10-ranked Pirates will face NCAA Division I University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley and Tarleton State early and NCAA Division II St. Mary's and Texas A&M-Kingsville late. 

Southwestern's Division III schedule includes No. 5 Mary Washington, No. 4 Kenyon, No. 12 Denison, and No. 14 Skidmore. The Pirates will also face the University of Chicago, which did not compete last season due to Covid but were ranked No. 8 the year before. And Trinity remains a formidable opponent waiting in the conference tournament at No. 19. 

"It's great that we're getting to travel a lot more. Finally, doors are opening to play these higher-ranked teams we haven't had the opportunity to face in the past," Kesterson says. "I'm excited to go compete against them." 

"We saw firsthand how Emory was able to elevate their game and craft, so the one thing we took away from our first NCAA Tournament is the amount of work and effort needed to play at that level," Ziehm adds. "We're starting to play programs that have won national championships before, so we're going to need to be more prepared and elevate our games." 

If Southwestern is going to handle having a bigger target on their backs, it will do so by seeking out bigger game themselves to grow the program continuously. 

"We tell the women it's earned, not given. It's an absolute privilege to have everyone, not like you and give you their best shot," Porter explains. "At the same time, we need to appreciate our practices and not take for granted that some of the best players in the country are in the same locker room as you. We need to use that to our advantage to prepare for a challenging season."