Moraine Valley women’s tennis storms back into season with fresh talent and familiar leadership

After a year full of big accomplishments, Moraine Valley Community College women’s tennis is eager for newcomers to help them achieve additional success this season.

Joining the team’s new faces is Head Coach Simona Tomczak, an alumna who took over the program in late spring to lead the squad at the national tournament. Since then, she has built a crew with a culture of strength and cohesion.

“My goals are to emphasize discipline and team unity on and off the court as well as foster leadership qualities among players,” Tomczak explained. “I like to focus on doubles strategy and conditioning.”

Returning from last year’s Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference and NJCAA Region 4 championship team is sophomore Zaina Daghash (Lockport), who earned conference and region singles and doubles championships. Joining her are freshmen Aileen Casey (Lockport), Merietta Farraj (Stagg), Tamera Farraj (Stagg), Eliza Janik (Oak Lawn), Sydney Rutkowski (Lincoln-Way West) and Joile Sullivan (Hillcrest).

“I’m especially excited about the return of Zaina this season. She’s been showing great dedication, consistently showing up and working hard in training. I have high hopes for her growth this year,” Tomczak noted.

One of Tomczak’s key focuses this season will be footwork, which she believes is a fundamental part of tennis. In addition, she will encourage the athletes to run outside of practice to build better stamina for matches.

Tomczak hopes to lead her team to the same triumphs she experienced when she was a Cyclone a few years ago.

“Overall, I’m really looking forward to the season, not just for the competition but also for the fun we’re going to have as a team, especially with our new players,” she said.

The Cyclones season opener is at home against Illinois Valley Community College on Wednesday, Sept. 3, 3:30 p.m. For updates on Cyclones Athletics, visit mvcyclones.com.