This weekend, the Goshen College women’s tennis team will travel to Mobile, Alabama to play in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics National Championships (NAIA). The tournament will run from May 12-16. This is the first time in program history that the women’s team has qualified for the tournament. They will be the #14 seed for the tournament and their first game will take place on Tuesday.

Alongside the men, the women’s tennis team is one of only two teams on GC campus to have a winning record this season. They are 15-7 overall and 8-1 in the Crossroads League. Their only conference loss during the regular season came at the hands of Marian University Knights, who ended up winning the tournament. In their previous campaign last year, the Maple Leafs were 7-13 overall, picking up only three wins in conference play.

The Leafs began the Crossroads League tournament with a 4-0 victory over Grace College before travelling to take on Indiana Wesleyan University, winning 4-2. Sophomore Uliana Dotsenko explained how the team was anxious going into the game against IWU, as they were in the same uniform as the men when they lost to the Wildcats. “We were dressed the same, white and purple and we didn’t even notice that,” she said.

After taking the doubles point, GC fell behind in the singles matches early, before rallying back to win the game. Blanka Bodo, Vishmi Serasinghe and Marin Kawano came away with victories before Sara Nino’s game was cut short due to the Leafs having accumulated the four points they needed to win the match.

They then returned to IWU to play Marian in the final. Dotsenko recalled her fear going into the contest: “I was so scared to play, and it showed on the court. The doubles were not so good from my side … and in singles it was a really good fight,” she said. The Leafs lost 4-1 to the Knights, with the lone point coming from Serasinghe.

Aside from Bodo, the Goshen lineup has consisted mainly of sophomores this year, with Kawano being the only other standout as a first-year. Maria Clara Fonte believes that this consistency has helped the team develop into what it is today. “We all arrived at the same time in our freshman year, which really helped us build a strong connection, which is very important on the court,” Fonte said.

Dotsenko believes that the additions of Kawano, Serasinghe — who redshirted her first-year — and Fonte —who was injured during the fall — have bolstered the squad, putting them in this position. She said, “We were talking [and saying] that it’s crazy how the team changed and how we grew up together — but Marin, Clara and Vishmi, they’re helping us go up and it’s a crazy difference.”

Both Fonte and Dotsenko have suffered injuries this year. Dotsenko is currently carrying injuries on both of her ankles. She sustained these injuries against Huntington University as well as Grace. Despite this, Dotsenko persevered, playing all the way to the conference finals, sometimes in a lot of pain. “I’m really proud of myself, even with these feet I still competed and did good results,” Dotsenko said.

According to Fonte, after the 2025 season, the team did not think they would qualify for the championship. “None of us really thought going to nationals was a possibility. But as we started competing and beating teams we had lost to before, we began to believe,” she said. “We also received our ranking, which gave us even more confidence.”

Off the court, the Leafs also had more depth in their coaching staff, with the addition of Pedro Scattolon ’25 as an assistant coach to head coach Jon Bemisderfer. Dotsenko believes that Scattolon’s experience at GC lends into his ability to coach the team. “It’s just nice because Pedro was a player, so you can talk to him more about some of your stuff, he’ll understand you more and if you need someone at your court, you can call him and he will stay on your court for some time and help you,” Dotsenko says.

For Scattolon, this supportive attitude comes from his love for GC. “My belief is that you have to do all you have in your hands to uplift the team you are in. So how am I not going to show up and support them when they are defending the purple shirt?” Scattolon said.

Scattolon describes the day the team found out they had qualified for the tournament as a moment he will always remember. “Getting to nationals was my dream since day one,” he said.

The Leafs will take on Holy Cross College of South Bend in their first game at the tournament. The Saints received their berth after winning the Chicagoland conference tournament. The Saints and the Leafs have met this season, with the Saints coming out eventual winners in a game held on an indoor court. Dotsenko believes that the Leafs will have an advantage this time due to the fact that the games will be played outdoors on faster courts. “For Goshen, it’s easier to play outdoors … I think we have a bit of an advantage playing outdoors than indoors and also with a different lineup,” Dotsenko said.

Fonte hopes that the team can give a good account of themselves at the tournament. “Nationals is a completely new stage for us. We know we have a strong team and we play good tennis, so we’re going in with the mindset to give our very best in every match and see how far we can go,” she said.

For both Dotsenko and Fonte, being part of a history making team has been an honor. “Goshen is already a big part of who we are, and being able to achieve something historic makes it even more special,” Fonte said.

“I just want to say thank you to the people of Goshen. I love them, it’s such a big support, it feels like home,” Dotsenko said.

The Leafs will travel to Mobile, Alabama this weekend for final preparations, before taking on the Saints of Holy Cross College on Tuesday at 2 p.m.