University of Tennessee Athletics
Serve & Volley: Chris Woodruff
September 25, 2014 | Men's Tennis
By Amanda Pruitt
UTSports.com
Two weeks into the fall tennis season, Tennessee associate coach Chris Woodruff talks about the Vols' new freshmen and the goals through the rest of the semester.
The freshman trio of Igor Smelyanski, Jess Jones and Luis Valero have represented the Vols for the first time at the Southern Intercollegiate Championships and the SEC Fall Classic. Smelyanski made the quarterfinals of the SEC Fall Classic last weekend.
Q: You've had a few weeks of team practice now, what have you seen from the team so far?
A: "I'm really excited about our three freshmen. They all bring such unique qualities. We've had some good freshmen come through here, but these guys are all really hard workers.
"Igor's avidity for the game is outstanding. Incredible passion. Luis is a very fluid mover. Jess is an intense competitor. They have the mental approach down, or at least they're going down the right road. I think where Sam and I need to enhance their performance is to make sure they have a well-rounded game. I think each one of them have things they do very well, and for each one of them, there are things they need to work on, whether it's offense or defense or combining both or mixing it up a little more or having a contingency plan.
"I'm really excited about our freshmen, but obviously we're relying on the rest of our guys too. All of them have been here and know what to expect. I think it's going to be a great season moving forward."
Q: With so many new faces now playing for the Vols this fall, what have you taken away from the first two tournaments?
A: I think we have a long way to go. My bright spot is the freshmen, but in terms of team chemistry and who's going to play what in the lineup, we can't even talk about the lineup until we're on the same page with everybody buy in. It's a perpetual process. Every year around this time, it seems like I get a little grayer and have a little more trouble sleeping at night, trying to figure out which direction Ben, Sam and I want to go."
Q: What's involved in that perpetual process?
A: "Trying to figure out the lineup and where we're going to play guys. You want to put them in where they're competitive. In certain spots, guys are going to be more competitive than other spots. Trying to matchup for me, it's about getting the doubles teams right.
"Obviously, we have a good team in Hunter and Mikelis. That's been proven that if we split them and go that route, that we can put them back together as we've done in the past. We know we have one good doubles team, and like I've said, all the freshmen can hit shots. They all want to play doubles, which I think is half the battle. For me, it's getting the doubles in place. It's been a top priority and continues to be.
"I'm going to watch a lot of film of our doubles matches, something I haven't done as much of in the fall, but that's what I'm going do over the fall break and as we finish around Thanksgiving."
Q: We've talked about our freshmen newcomers, but we're also getting into the second semester of Jack Schipanski's career. He will be eligible in January. While he waits for his time to play, what has he brought to practices and the team?
A: "Jack's an affable guy first of all, so he brings that aura and charisma about him. He draws people to him, and people want to be around him. He's a chameleon, if you will. He blends in. I haven't seen him get into arguments or feuds with his teammates. He's the kind of guy who can blend in with any type of setting, whether the guy is playing 1 or 10 on the team. He can blend in well.
"He works really hard. I haven't seen him take too many practices off, which is a nice trait to have. So if you're well liked and work hard, that usually equals the recipe for success. I'm forecasting that he has a very successful career at Tennessee."
Q: With 11 players on the roster this year, the courts have been pretty full and competitive in practice. Has it been helpful to have both the numbers and the level of competition?
A: "If you're going to have a big-numbered squad, I think it's advantageous to make sure that everyone can be competitive and that's kind of the way it is. We've got an 11-man roster, and everybody is competitive. Years past, we may have stricken with having six good players, but this year, we've got everybody who can play. There are going to be good players at home when we travel eight during the SEC season. I'm not a huge fan of having a large team, but I think if you do have a big squad, that it needs to be competitive, and everybody can play up and down the line for us this year. I'm interested to see where everyone files in."
Q: Hunter Reese started the fall off playing doubles at the U.S. Open. What do you think he took away from the experience that he can use going forward?
A: "I think what he brought back is that he can trust the doubles system that he's learned here. We spoke briefly about it, and he didn't feel like he was that far off, which is a really encouraging thing as a coach to hear. It allows me to believe I'm teaching the right things when we go into the doubles. From a playing perspective, for him to be around solid, world-class players -- I think he played against the No. 10 or 11 team in the world -- for him to say he's not far off, it's encouraging.
"Half of it is just going in and getting used to the atmosphere and the people. It's bigger and better where he played at the U.S. Open. You want to get to that level."
Q: What's the plan moving forward?
A: "I'm just looking forward to seeing the progression. Where we started is very fresh, two weeks ago at the Southern Intercollegiates in Athens, and I'm always looking to see where we end the fall and if that gap is small or large. For our program, I think the mindset needs to be about getting better. We have a good squad. If you look around, we have capable, quality tennis players. The whole mantra about this year is getting better and doing the best you can. And if you get better and do the best you can, I think we'll have a successful season."
