Gophers tennis battled through roster shortage, until running out of players and calling off season

For months, against insurmountable odds, the Gophers tennis team kept pushing.

In a sport where nine healthy players is the norm, the Gophers often had four. They routinely started matches, which are a race to four points, trailing 2-0, due to forfeits. It left no room for error, every match suddenly on the brink.

Losses stacked up. Injuries and illness became a factor seemingly every week with no resolution. They kept pushing, to Pennsylvania, to Ohio, to Michigan.

Then another injury. This one simply too much to overcome. Three healthy players remaining ended the discussion. The Gophers issued a news release last week saying the program would cancel the remainder of the season.

Catrina Thompson, in her sixth season as Gophers coach, is a former three-time All-America at Notre Dame. She sat inside the Baseline Tennis Center this week and admitted that she still thrives on competition. It made the sudden conclusion of this season hard to process.

"I always wanted to keep going. I know that can sound crazy because each week was, 'What's coming next?' " she said. "But, the want for the healthy players to just continue going, I think that's a thought that probably has popped in everyone's mind: How long can we keep this continuing along?"

In the end, the question answered itself.

Thompson didn't share specific injury or illness details except to say that it amounted to a "perfect storm" of long-term timetables for recovery.

"I never imagined finishing a season this way," she said. "It's extremely challenging to stomach and to sit with. But we're just trying to get everyone healthy and make sure that aspect comes first. Not even just right now during their collegiate career, but that they're able to be healthy for years to come."

It was a dialogue the coaches and players kept open all season. They field a unique roster in college sports, largely international: there are more countries represented (Greece, Estonia, Italy, Turkey, Germany) than states (Colorado, Ohio).

It means they often have each other to rely on. Coaches would accompany players to doctor's visits to provide counsel and support.

Zeyneb Sarioglan, a junior from Ankara, Turkey, said when she got to the U, seniors took her under their wing, a role she embraces now.

"My team here is my family away from my actual family," she said.

During Sarioglan's first season, COVID-19 struck. Now, three years later, another season was cut short.

"We were never expecting this," she said. "Playing matches with a mask on, it was so difficult. I never thought there could be something worse than that."

It's important to note that as she said this, Sarioglan laughed.

If the season bordered on the absurd, it also created something unique, a testament to a team's determination.

"We were not giving up," Sarioglan said. "We'll just keep going. That mentality, I can honestly say, this is the season that I learned the most from my teammates."

They had euphoric moments — including four healthy players notching a 4-3 victory over a Utah team that was ranked 36th in the country. Anet Koskel, Sarioglan and Zoey Weil won singles matches and those three along with Aiva Schmitz won their two doubles matches.

"This year was a lot of pressure because if anyone has an off day it's going to be tough to win the match," Thompson said. "I just give our players so much credit just with the way they handled the different adversity that's been thrown at us."

If the season was forced to an early conclusion, they will still end it on their own terms with a private Senior Day for Weil.

Then they will move forward, but Sarioglan plans to hold onto a few things — a reminder for how life can, inevitably, disrupt your plans.

"It's important to keep this in mind, these things can happen," she said. "It will stay with me throughout my life. But it's something that will carry my energy. ... My goal is to keep this motivation and use it next year. Double the motivation. That's my goal."