Reshape and Rally - Part VI

10/15/2020 11:00:00 AM

Throughout the fall season, Athletics Communications will present a new installment of Reshape and Rally, a photo collection documenting how Kenyon student-athletes and Athletics staff react to everyday changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the effort they put in to reaching their goal of returning to intercollegiate competition.

Links to other installments of Reshape and Rally are listed below.

Part 1 I Part 2 I Part 3 I Part 4 I Part 5 I Part 7

First-year Rakkan Audeh fires up a forehand in the early stages of a Tuesday afternoon practice.

Coming to Kenyon from Moscow, Russia, junior Daria Beshentseva has remained on campus throughout the pandemic. Named a doubles All-American in the shortened 2020 spring season, Beshentseva continues to fortify her game, even in light of her sport's uncertain future.

A newcomer to the Kenyon tennis scene, Viva Vasquez, has her backhand on track.

Sporting the new Kenyon Community shirt, sophomore Evan Dean goes to work on the court. The shirt, distributed by the Athletics department to all student-athletes, is a reminder of the collaboration necessary to pull through these difficult times.

A masked coach Scott Thielke initiates a drill by feeding a ball into play. This season, his 28th coaching the Ladies, is like no other. Thielke, who is on the verge of his 400th career win with the program, sees tremendous potential put on hold with this 2020-21 team.

Director of Athletics, Fitness and Recreation Jill McCartney (left) and Acting Head Coach Andrew Carlson (right) share a masked conversation about the Lords, who continue to go about their work in the background. In the 2020 shortened season, the team went 7-3 and earned a No. 14 national rank.

Eleni Dakos powers through an afternoon practice on VandenBerg Courts. The first-year from New Jersey aspires to be another dynamic player in the Ladies' stacked lineup.

Sophomore Evan Dean (background) challenges first-year Harshal Rukhaiyar during a drill designed to improve reaction time and control.

Andrew Carlson, in his first season as the acting head coach of the Lords tennis team, fires balls in play to keep a lively drill moving along. Carlson is in his third campaign with the program. His playing background includes four years at The Ohio State University, as well as four years on the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Tour.

Erika Pontillo, who calls Valencia, Venezuela home, is one of two sophomores on campus for the Ladies tennis team. In limited action last year, she posted a 4-1 singles record and a 7-1 doubles record.

Jacob Smith hones in on a ball that creeps over the net. Smith, from Reno, Nevada, is one of five sophomores on campus for the Lords.

The pandemic can pose even more problems for international students, but sophomore Catriona Macintosh (background), from Scotland, and first-year Irina Beshentseva (foreground), from Russia, are nothing but smiles during a doubles drill.