The Men’s Tennis season has yet to begin, but players of the Purchase College team are working hard on the courts. This season they have a few new faces to add to the roster, including Dillon Torchia.
As a freshman, Torchia said he is thrilled for his first chance at playing on a college team. With the extreme work out agenda, he is sure of his ability to play the sport. “I feel like I’ve progressed being on the training routine,” he said. “It has turned me into a well rounded solid player.”
A graduate of Friends Seminary School in Manhattan, Torchia said he was drawn to the acceleration of the sport. At the age of 13, he started playing at NYC Park Systems, which held free tennis lessons during the summer. While on the team, Coach Alcide Moreira saw great potential in him and chose Torchia as a pilot player for his private organization, More Tennis Inc. The organization was housed in Columbia University, where Moreira held lessons for his students. Torchia played for the organization for a little over five years.
With the intense practices, Torchia said he will have no problem in reaching his tennis goals. “My strokes are pretty good, but I could become lighter on my feet and improve my foot work,” he said. The team practices six times a week for about two hours each session. The schedule consists of hitting, weight lifting in the gym, and running the Purchase loop for 3.2 miles, six days a week. Teammate Chris Matchner said, “Dillon is working hard, but like me he has to keep working hard because I don’t think either of us are in decent shape.”
The amount of practice brings high hopes for the team’s overall performance this season. Torchia said he trusts that they have a good chance at winning the division and going to nationals. The one team that threatens their victory may just be St. Joseph’s College on Long Island. “They beat us a lot last year and we look forward to a rematch,” he said.
The upcoming match against St. Joe’s threatens doesn’t intimidate everyone, however. “I’m just not that scared this year,” said Coach Peter Nestel. “I think we’ve got them and I usually never say that, but I don’t want my guys to be to over confident about it.” Nestel prepares for these matches by continuing to watch the players' performances and pushing them to their highest potential. “As a freshman Dillon is a bit of an unknown to me,” he said. “His area of concern is fitness. That’s where he needs to work the hardest.” With the five new players this year, Torchia has a chance of making the lineup if he continues to progress.
Torchia said he plans to major in political science and minor in music, with the hope of succeeding in either field. In maintaining his GPA he must get the most out of all his free time between work and school. He said he sometimes finds it hard because of having to work overtime at his job and handling tennis practices.
The Men's Tennis team's first home game is March 21 and they face Yeshiva. “Since we are getting into shape all season I’m not worried, it would just be first time jitters for freshman players on the team,” Torchia said.
Comments
Post new comment