When it comes to athletes and their accomplishments, it’s remarkable to see the teammates work together throughout various seasons. However it’s interesting to see two athletes who enrolled at the same time to work together and be a powerhouse team.
In a recent YouTube video from Winthrop Athletics, eniors Lauren Proctor and Megan Kauffman were interviewed for their performances as a duo in the Winthrop University women’s tennis team. Their hard work and dynamic coordination through four years of matches lead them to be top contenders in the Big South Conference. Though they were paired up in 2017, the two showed their chemistry and determination.
“Megan and I have really good chemistry together. I think part of that is because we’ve been playing together for so long now, and I think the other part is because our games complement each other so well. Sometimes we don’t even have to physically communicate to know what each other is looking to do, due to our great chemistry and teamwork,” Proctor said.
Throughout the current season, the duo noted the challenges they had to face along the way during conference games and the Big South Tournament but overcoming as a team.
“Playing tennis at this level is never easy. It’s challenging, and this season has been one of the more challenging ones for me, individually. We have been very successful as a team in conference play and the Big South Tournament is just around the corner, so I can’t wait to get into tournament action,” Kauffmann said.
The duo have been playing together for four years, facing multiple teams on the Winthrop Tennis team, and also working to improve each other’s technique with every game.
“This season has been a bit of a tough one, but we’ve also been playing some more challenging teams than we have in the past. However, we still have a little bit of time to improve and get better, so that’s what we are beginning to do,” Proctor said.
One of the interesting elements of this duo is their enthusiasm to not only support each other to reach their potential but also to show off their work to each other and create new goals to succeed in games.
“Lauren is a very driven and talented individual, it’s been a great experience to be able to play with her at such a high level. I think we help each other by supporting each other and pushing each other to reach our goals as individuals and as a team,” Kauffmann said.
With the familiarity of working with each other and the encouragement of their team, the two managed to soar to new heights and help fill in where they have difficulty in the sport.
“We just try and help each other as best we can by being positive and pumping each other up. We also just do our best to try and compensate for one another when one of us may not be having the best day,” Proctor said.
With the Big South Tournament on the horizon, both Proctor and Kauffman are thankful to have worked together over the years at Winthrop and are eager to show their teamwork in the upcoming games.
“Our games work really well together, and I think that’s one reason we’ve been successful. We’re also lucky to have come to Winthrop at the same time, having all four years to get to know each other and play together for three,” Kauffmann said.
