Siwiec enjoys being a Saint

It was almost four years ago that Jarrett Siwiec decided to take his tennis skills from Pleasant Valley High School to Siena College.

In a matter of a few months, The four-time TIMES NEWS Tennis Player of the Year will be putting the finishing touches on his collegiate playing career with the Saints' men's tennis team.

For most high school athletes, their first taste of varsity competition can be a bit intimidating especially if it occurs as a freshman. That never seemed to bother Siwiec, however, as he stepped into the No. 1 singles spot as a ninth-grader and never surrendered it.

But Siwiec was never satisfied with the tremendous success he enjoyed at the high school level. He realized there was a lot more work to do.

"I knew I had to step up my game by taking on a lot more training both on and off the court," Siwiec said. "This was a challenge at first, but the tools that Siena provided me throughout my college career helped out greatly."

During his playing career with the Division I Saints, Siwiec has played both singles and doubles, often times playing both in the same match.

During the recently completed fall tennis season, Siwiec finished with a 4-13 record in singles' play. He also paired up with five different Saints' teammates throughout the course of the campaign and finished with a 2-12 doubles mark against a very difficult Middle Atlantic Athletic Conference schedule.

While his singles and doubles records might not seem noteworthy, veteran Siena head coach Jim Serbalik said Siwiec's contributions go beyond his record.

"Jarrett has been one of the most consistent players I have coached over the course of his years at Siena," Serbalik said. "He is an exceptionally fit athlete with a constant desire to compete. The move to Division I athletics from high school is a huge step.

"Jarrett has been competitive at the higher level from day one. We both wish there were more wins, but that comes with the territory."

Siwiec isn't quite finished with his Siena College career as he still has the spring season of competition remaining.

Serbalik said Siwiec, the lone senior on a roster full of underclassmen, is looking for a big finish to his college career.

"All second semester seniors want to go out on a positive note," Serbalik said. "At the same time, they take that extra moment to enjoy the experience, knowing that it will soon be over."

Siwiec said he is excited about the upcoming spring season..

"Right now I am looking to go out on a strong note," Siwiec said. "The conference tournament is a big deal and I would like to see my team play great in it."

With just seven regular season matches on the schedule before the MAAC Championships at West Windsor, New Jersey, Siwiec plans to take on a leadership role as the Saints' lone upperclassmen.

"Obviously, it is important for me to bring the team together as a whole in order to become a single functioning machine which produces great results," Siwiec said. "Both the doubles points and the singles points are important overall and the team must have a great start of the match.

"These quick starts are something that I am looking to improve on for the second half of this year."

Serbalik said Siwiec's leadership is one of his strengths.

"Jarrett's leadership by example will be sorely missed I never take consistent effort for granted when it comes to college athletes, and he has been rock solid since his freshman year," Serbalik said.

That leadership starts in practice where Siwiec has enjoyed some of his best times at Siena.

"Practices are some of the most competitive times that we have as a team," Siwiec said. "The outstanding competition and the way we all push each other to improve is what I will remember when I look back at my career.

"Playing tennis is something that I will do for the rest of my life. For me, the drive to train and compete is something that I will always have in tennis and in life."