After finishing the 2023-24 season with its worst record in seven years, Temple enters the 2025 spring season with a clean slate. A mixture of new talent, leadership and focus on competition has provided new light for the program.
Temple lost eight players from last year’s team and replenished its roster with five freshmen and a pair of transfers to complement the two returners. The Owls will rely on youthful energy and the guidance of its new coaching staff to navigate the challenges of the spring season.
“This year we have a very diverse team of girls from all over the world,” said assistant coach Bruce Myers. “It’s such a new team which is very exciting, having new courts on campus has helped us a lot and it’s always great to have athletes who are just excited to be here.”
A fresh start: New courts, coaches and leadership
Temple underwent significant changes in the offseason, bringing in head coach Jeff Brandes from Fairleigh Dickinson University to replace long-time head coach Steve Mauro. Brandes comes to North Broad Street with an impressive track record and will be joined by Myers and assistant coach A.J. Culver. Myers was retained after spending three years with Mauro, while Culver was recently hired in the fall and will make his coaching debut for Temple this spring.
The new coaching staff brings a breath of fresh air to a program in desperate need of a reset. Brandes and his staff operate with a player-focused approach and encourage a high-energy atmosphere during practice, where players are expected to support each other both on and off the court. The experience of the coaching staff will be relied on, especially with a lineup full of youth and new faces.
“He’s started to implement his own training programs and coaching styles,” said junior Thamara Frasser Kawaratani. “I can see more energy in our practices. Jeff wants us to over-cheer our opponents and encourage each other more, he loves to explain things very thoroughly which helps us all in a positive way.”
The Owls enter the season with a blend of youth and experience. Kawaratani and sophomore Marianthi Christoforidou are the only returners from last season. With an influx of new faces, 2025 is set to be a year of transition for Temple after reaching an impressive 17 wins just two seasons ago.
Kawaratani went 10-9 in singles matches last season and is poised to be the Owls’ top singles player this season. She brings much-needed leadership and experience that will be crucial for Temple as it faces a tough slate of matches in the American Athletic Conference.
Behind Kawaratani, the Owls single’s lineup is inexperienced, but freshmen Kelly Richter and Irmak Ozturk are expected to play important roles right away this upcoming season. The trio will offer a solid backbone for the Owls’ singles lineup and will be counted on to deliver critical wins throughout the season.
“There’s a big difference between the team this year and last year,” Kawaratani said. “The new girls have been so eager to learn which made it easy to enforce a new team culture that’s been working very smoothly so far.”
Despite going a perfect 9-0 “at home” last season, the tennis courts Temple competed on were not their own. Due to the tennis courts on campus being in less-than-ideal conditions, the Owls had to play and practice at the University of Pennsylvania for the last two years.
Temple will now compete on newly renovated tennis courts which will give them a real home-court advantage. The new courts are set to make a significant difference as Temple prepares for both home matches and daily practice sessions.
“Our courts were terrible,” Myers said. “We play six singles but could only use three of the courts. It will be great to have real matches on campus this year and maybe students will even come out to watch.”
A promising fall: Results that set the tone for spring
The fall tournament season provided a valuable opportunity for the Owls to gain experience and assess their progress. Key players like Kawaratani and Richter had solid performances, showcasing their growth and setting the tone for the spring season.
At the AAC Individual Championships hosted by Rice University in October, Richter advanced to the round of 16 in singles play, defeating Memphis’ Emily Meyer with an impressive 6-3, 6-2 scoreline. However, she faced a tough challenge in the round of 16, where she lost in the third set against Ana Naranjo Martinez of Tulsa. Despite the loss, her performance was a strong indicator of her readiness to lead the Owls in their head-to-head spring season.
Kawaratani and Christoforidou teamed up in doubles but fell short in the round of 32 as they were edged by Tulane’s Leigh Van Zyl and Micah Pierce 8-5 in a tightly contested match following a 5-5 tie.
“The team’s performance last semester was positive,” Brandes said. “To me, the most important thing is how you compete. You’re not going to play well every day, but you can compete well every day. Being as consistent as possible with that mindset is what separates levels and that is a constant focus that this team has.”
While the fall results were a promising start, the team’s eyes are now squarely on the spring. The Owls are preparing for more dual-match competition and ultimately aim to challenge for a spot at the AAC Championships in Memphis, Tennessee on April 17-20.
The season kicks off with a road trip to Morgantown, West Virginia, for a match against the University of Toledo on Jan. 16.
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