March 17, 2026 • 6 mins
UND Head Tennis Coach Tom Boysen recaps the women’s team riding a seven-match winning streak, highlighting that the squad is finally healthy with all players back in the lineup. He explains how depth plays a key role, noting that when a top player is out, everyone shifts up a spot, changing the dynamic across the board. Looking ahead, Boysen previews the upcoming matchup against the Kansas City Roos and discusses the challenges of continuing their momentum with several matches on the road.
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
All right, we welcome you back here to HOWKTOC downtown
Grand Forks from the five zero six Pub located right
there on to Merz and fifth and you can't miss us.
We're right on the corner with the big windows inside
Hugo's Pure Market. I'm Paul Ralston. We're turning our attention
to the final run in on the spring season for
U and D tennis. And U and D Tennis had
(00:24):
a successful road trip over the spring break. In fact,
they've racked up a number of wins. Now here's head
coach Tom boys and joining in the program. Everybody. U
and D women's tennis will be at home on Friday
against Kansas City and the Fighting HOWK ladies. By the way,
just had the duel the duo Players of the Week
with Ula Schulta and I think Ethel Lee I think
(00:47):
was also the duo there. So they've been outstanding in
that competition. So on the women's side, the women now
have won, Oh my goodness, one to seven straight, seven
straight for the ladies. Coach Boyce and how about that.
That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Yeah, thanks Paul. Yeah, we we you know, we are healthy.
We got to have about three or four weeks ago,
we got one of our players back, who's a significant
player that was hurt for the first third of the year.
Maybe and and and you know, the parody is is
everywhere in college tennis, and so you miss a player
from the top, and everybody moves up and it puts
a little stress on on on everybody else that we
(01:25):
got better because of it. We had players playing, you know,
higher than they normally would have, and the increased competition
and level made everybody better. But then inserting Andrea back
into the into the lineup certainly helped. And it really starts.
You know, you mentioned ethel and you the winning doubles
team of the week, and they've been standing at number one.
But in general, we've we've always kind of doing the
math over the weekend statistics, and you know, the women
(01:48):
have won i want to say, six of their last
seven doubles points and so as close as college tennis
matches are right now, getting that first point and getting
that one on the board and only having just splitting
the singles really helped. So doubles across the board has
been has been really good. But yeah, we you know,
had some good wins in those seven and going outdoors
and beating a good Oil Roberts team to start our conference.
He's in outdoors and the win when we hadn't really
(02:08):
been there for a while, it really really helped set
the tone and kind of get everybody kind of confident
for the run.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
And you had a run through a Louisiana to round
out spring break basically, so Nicols State. There's a story
with you Indy football back in the day that they
had to change in a in a makeshift tent outside
before an FCS playoff game. I don't know what your
situation was, but however it worked. You picked up a
couple of wins there, one against Nickel State and against
(02:35):
New Orleans.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Right yeah, and we played, you know, two different Thibodeaux.
We played in Nickel State and in an hour south
or whatever direction we were in New Orleans. And those
were challenging. I mean it was. We went from about
eighty eighty two degrees, played Nickel State and kind of
warm outdoors and no shade and some some heat issues,
and then two days later played New Orleans. And when
when the women played, it was we were warming up
(02:57):
in forty eight degree weather and it was super wind
and so it couldn't get much different. It warmed up
a little bit during the match, But give the women
a lot of credit for for finding the way to
to win and some you know, certainly we preach all
the time, but you get down into the matches and
it's not about who has the better for and who
has the better service, who can be tougher, who can
deal with adversity, who can deal with conditions, And we
certainly prove that, Uh yeah, we were willing to do that.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
So the men are in practice mode because they won't
resume play until they get to Drake I think next weekend.
But uh women will host Kansas City at five at
choice on Friday. What do we know about the rules
and what do the U and women have to prepare for?
Speaker 2 (03:33):
Always always tough, it's it's there. They don't make it
a fun match to play. They're they're there. I always
feel like they're really smart players. They're they're intellectual. They
they have a couple of players with some interesting game
styles I would say that we don't see all the time,
and they they you know, they usually make it. They're
good fighters and so they don't go away easily. Some
(03:54):
of them have some some challenging ways they played it
to to to combat. But but but opportunities are there.
I always feel like when we play them, if we
play our game and play well and are willing to
play our type of tennis in the big moments where
that we you know, we have a good chance.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
So the men have won eight of their last nine.
Everybody the men for U and D Tennis. That's that's incredible.
They also had a successful run through at the same
time on this spring break. So what are the men
doing well right now?
Speaker 2 (04:23):
You know, it's it's a little bit of everybody's contributing.
We've had different guys going winning streaks at different times.
I will say, you know, it's it's it's a pretty
new team. Six out of eight guys that this is
their first year at U and D or first semester
for one of them. And we're starting a sophomore at
number one who's undefeated. He hasn't lost this year in
singles at number one. He's he's you know, he's he's
(04:43):
almost like an automatic at this point. I hate saying that,
but he's been about that good. And then and then
a freshman at two and and and a freshman at
three and so we're going sophomore freshman freshion to start.
They've certainly had their ups and downs, but the last
five or six matches those two have played really, really well.
And then guys at the guys at the I say,
at the bottom of the line up there there there.
(05:04):
Every point counts the same in tennis, and we've had
you know, Walker Valentine and Cristo Alex at five and
six at really they're playing their best tennis. Probably Cristo
for sure in the time he's been at un d
and Walker the best tennis he's played this year specifically,
So they've kind of been contributing everywhere. And the men,
you know, it said something, but the women's doubles, the
men have won eight doubles points in a row two
so doubles has been a big reason. I think that
(05:25):
we've had some success and set the tone early in
the match, and it's fast. You've got to be ready
to play doubles. That's what I credit the teams with.
If you're winning that many doubles points, then you're ready
to go when the match starts.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
The some of the league tennis championships are in late
April about April twenty fourth and twenty fifth, only about
five six matches basically in the run in here for
these teams. Final question for you, and I got to
keep it short here tonight, but what what do you
anticipate are going to be the keys in this run
in to close out the season?
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Yeah, I mean on both, with both, there's not as
you said, there's not that many chances. I think you
need to take care of your matches at home for sure,
because you just don't know what's gonna happen on the
road with crowds and with weather and we we're outside
and stuff. So I think, you know, taking care of
you choice is a great environment for us to play.
And we have played well at Choice and since I've
been here in my five years, and it seems to
(06:14):
give us a little bit extra or something, and the
crowd helps. And so I think having some big matches
at home, that's that's the first priorities. Take care of
those matches and then we're road tested. We play more
matches on the road than mostly one teams. Yeah, so
I think, you know, it doesn't phase us, but I
think taking care of us at home sets the table.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
No doubt. Coach Boyson thank you for this great to
see you and good luck this weekend. On Friday, against
the Rules on Women's in Women's Action North Goe to
ten is Tom Boyson. They're having a great season. Everybody,
get on out to the Choice on Friday. We'll come
back and wrap up hok Talk for twenty twenty six
when we return next all across the Fighting Hawks, Ready
(06:52):
and Network.
All right, we welcome you back here to HOWKTOC downtown
Grand Forks from the five zero six Pub located right
there on to Merz and fifth and you can't miss us.
We're right on the corner with the big windows inside
Hugo's Pure Market. I'm Paul Ralston. We're turning our attention
to the final run in on the spring season for
U and D tennis. And U and D Tennis had
(00:24):
a successful road trip over the spring break. In fact,
they've racked up a number of wins. Now here's head
coach Tom boys and joining in the program. Everybody. U
and D women's tennis will be at home on Friday
against Kansas City and the Fighting HOWK ladies. By the way,
just had the duel the duo Players of the Week
with Ula Schulta and I think Ethel Lee I think
(00:47):
was also the duo there. So they've been outstanding in
that competition. So on the women's side, the women now
have won, Oh my goodness, one to seven straight, seven
straight for the ladies. Coach Boyce and how about that.
That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Yeah, thanks Paul. Yeah, we we you know, we are healthy.
We got to have about three or four weeks ago,
we got one of our players back, who's a significant
player that was hurt for the first third of the year.
Maybe and and and you know, the parody is is
everywhere in college tennis, and so you miss a player
from the top, and everybody moves up and it puts
a little stress on on on everybody else that we
(01:25):
got better because of it. We had players playing, you know,
higher than they normally would have, and the increased competition
and level made everybody better. But then inserting Andrea back
into the into the lineup certainly helped. And it really starts.
You know, you mentioned ethel and you the winning doubles
team of the week, and they've been standing at number one.
But in general, we've we've always kind of doing the
math over the weekend statistics, and you know, the women
(01:48):
have won i want to say, six of their last
seven doubles points and so as close as college tennis
matches are right now, getting that first point and getting
that one on the board and only having just splitting
the singles really helped. So doubles across the board has
been has been really good. But yeah, we you know,
had some good wins in those seven and going outdoors
and beating a good Oil Roberts team to start our conference.
He's in outdoors and the win when we hadn't really
(02:08):
been there for a while, it really really helped set
the tone and kind of get everybody kind of confident
for the run.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
And you had a run through a Louisiana to round
out spring break basically, so Nicols State. There's a story
with you Indy football back in the day that they
had to change in a in a makeshift tent outside
before an FCS playoff game. I don't know what your
situation was, but however it worked. You picked up a
couple of wins there, one against Nickel State and against
(02:35):
New Orleans.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Right yeah, and we played, you know, two different Thibodeaux.
We played in Nickel State and in an hour south
or whatever direction we were in New Orleans. And those
were challenging. I mean it was. We went from about
eighty eighty two degrees, played Nickel State and kind of
warm outdoors and no shade and some some heat issues,
and then two days later played New Orleans. And when
when the women played, it was we were warming up
(02:57):
in forty eight degree weather and it was super wind
and so it couldn't get much different. It warmed up
a little bit during the match, But give the women
a lot of credit for for finding the way to
to win and some you know, certainly we preach all
the time, but you get down into the matches and
it's not about who has the better for and who
has the better service, who can be tougher, who can
deal with adversity, who can deal with conditions, And we
certainly prove that, Uh yeah, we were willing to do that.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
So the men are in practice mode because they won't
resume play until they get to Drake I think next weekend.
But uh women will host Kansas City at five at
choice on Friday. What do we know about the rules
and what do the U and women have to prepare for?
Speaker 2 (03:33):
Always always tough, it's it's there. They don't make it
a fun match to play. They're they're there. I always
feel like they're really smart players. They're they're intellectual. They
they have a couple of players with some interesting game
styles I would say that we don't see all the time,
and they they you know, they usually make it. They're
good fighters and so they don't go away easily. Some
(03:54):
of them have some some challenging ways they played it
to to to combat. But but but opportunities are there.
I always feel like when we play them, if we
play our game and play well and are willing to
play our type of tennis in the big moments where
that we you know, we have a good chance.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
So the men have won eight of their last nine.
Everybody the men for U and D Tennis. That's that's incredible.
They also had a successful run through at the same
time on this spring break. So what are the men
doing well right now?
Speaker 2 (04:23):
You know, it's it's a little bit of everybody's contributing.
We've had different guys going winning streaks at different times.
I will say, you know, it's it's it's a pretty
new team. Six out of eight guys that this is
their first year at U and D or first semester
for one of them. And we're starting a sophomore at
number one who's undefeated. He hasn't lost this year in
singles at number one. He's he's you know, he's he's
(04:43):
almost like an automatic at this point. I hate saying that,
but he's been about that good. And then and then
a freshman at two and and and a freshman at
three and so we're going sophomore freshman freshion to start.
They've certainly had their ups and downs, but the last
five or six matches those two have played really, really well.
And then guys at the guys at the I say,
at the bottom of the line up there there there.
(05:04):
Every point counts the same in tennis, and we've had
you know, Walker Valentine and Cristo Alex at five and
six at really they're playing their best tennis. Probably Cristo
for sure in the time he's been at un d
and Walker the best tennis he's played this year specifically,
So they've kind of been contributing everywhere. And the men,
you know, it said something, but the women's doubles, the
men have won eight doubles points in a row two
so doubles has been a big reason. I think that
(05:25):
we've had some success and set the tone early in
the match, and it's fast. You've got to be ready
to play doubles. That's what I credit the teams with.
If you're winning that many doubles points, then you're ready
to go when the match starts.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
The some of the league tennis championships are in late
April about April twenty fourth and twenty fifth, only about
five six matches basically in the run in here for
these teams. Final question for you, and I got to
keep it short here tonight, but what what do you
anticipate are going to be the keys in this run
in to close out the season?
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Yeah, I mean on both, with both, there's not as
you said, there's not that many chances. I think you
need to take care of your matches at home for sure,
because you just don't know what's gonna happen on the
road with crowds and with weather and we we're outside
and stuff. So I think, you know, taking care of
you choice is a great environment for us to play.
And we have played well at Choice and since I've
been here in my five years, and it seems to
(06:14):
give us a little bit extra or something, and the
crowd helps. And so I think having some big matches
at home, that's that's the first priorities. Take care of
those matches and then we're road tested. We play more
matches on the road than mostly one teams. Yeah, so
I think, you know, it doesn't phase us, but I
think taking care of us at home sets the table.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
No doubt. Coach Boyson thank you for this great to
see you and good luck this weekend. On Friday, against
the Rules on Women's in Women's Action North Goe to
ten is Tom Boyson. They're having a great season. Everybody,
get on out to the Choice on Friday. We'll come
back and wrap up hok Talk for twenty twenty six
when we return next all across the Fighting Hawks, Ready
(06:52):
and Network.
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