Anything is Possible!!!

Anything is Possible!!!

April 13, 2016

Oakes' Leadership and Experience key for Valpo Men's Tennis


It is safe to say that the Valparaiso Men’s Tennis team is in the midst of their most successful season in program history. At 16-5 and 2-0 in Horizon League play, the men look poised to win their league for the first time in school history, building off of their second place finish to Green Bay last season.

For senior Danny Oakes, this is a welcome change from when he enrolled in school his freshman year.

“We had three straight seasons where we didn’t win a conference match,” Oakes said. “The two years before my freshman season and my first year here, we didn’t win one single match in the Horizon League.”

Valpo has never been known to have a dominant tennis team, which is why it is a nice surprise to see their success this season. Valpo Men’s Tennis doesn’t have the pedigree that the Men’s Basketball team does, but the program has hit a point in their growth similar to what men’s basketball currently faces.

“We’ve gotten to the point now where none of the ranked teams want to play us, just like the basketball team,” Oakes said. “Nobody wants to lose to a mid-major program like ours because it makes them look bad and they’re only doing us a favor by scheduling us. It really is the same situation our men’s basketball program is in.”

Unfortunately for Oakes, the continued success of the program has put him in a situation where he and his peers were recruited over. The majority of the top seven on the team are underclassmen. Oakes strictly plays doubles, but even then he is far enough down on the depth chart that there are meets where he won’t even play or get to finish his match. On top of that, Oakes has battled an ankle injury that had him sidelined for several weeks recently. Instead of pouting about how his senior year isn’t having the ending he wanted, Oakes and the other seniors have taken it upon themselves to embrace being leaders for the younger players on the team.

“I’m like the team dad,” said Oakes. “Everybody comes to me for everything. They ask me questions about homework, ask me where to go, call me to help out with any drama that might be going on. If they ever need anything, they always come to me.”

If you’re looking for a comparison to help describe Oakes’ game, demeanor, and leadership, look no further than his favorite professional basketball team and their emotional leader.

“If I could compare myself to an NBA player, I’d probably choose Joakim Noah. Not just because I’m a Bulls fan, but because he is kind of the leader of the team. He talks a lot of trash and yells when he plays. I’m always saying stuff and making noise when I play to get guys fired up.”

Despite not competing as much this season, Oakes will still graduate as one of the more decorated members in the history of the Valpo Men’s Tennis program. Oakes is currently 9th in singles winning percentage, 8th in doubles winning percentage, 9th all time in doubles victories, and 8th in career singles winning percentage. There is no doubt that as the team starts to look towards the stretch run of their season, they’ll continue to look to Oakes’ leadership and experience to help them reach their goals.

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