Bethel College’s athletic teams continue to improve and compete at the national level against some of the top National Association of Intercollegiate Athletes (NAIA) schools in the country. Billy Haoda, a junior from Cairns, Australia majoring in Exercise Science, and Jorge Batista, a junior from Maracay, Venezuela majoring in Business Marketing, represented the Bethel tennis team in the doubles competition at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Cup, which took place from Oct. 17 to 20 in Rome, Ga.
To qualify for this tournament, Haoda and Batista had to compete in the regional tournament, which took place from Sept. 23 to 26 in Salina. Throughout these long and challenging days of competition, Haoda and Batista faced multiple delays and schedule changes. The doubles pairing fell in the semifinals to the winner of the tournament. Although they did not earn an automatic bid, their previous ranking and performance allowed them to receive an at-large bid, marking the first time in Bethel men’s tennis program history that a doubles team qualified for the ITA Cup this way.
When asked about their achievement, both Haoda and Batista experienced similar emotions. “It is a good feeling,” said Haoda. “We are the first team to do it for Bethel, so it is special.”
“As my mate says, it was really special to receive an at-large bid,” said Batista. “It was all about trying to represent Bethel and make everyone proud.”
Getting to the national stage can generate internal pressure for certain people, however Batista and Haoda embraced the challenge and approached this opportunity with a competitive and confident mindset. “After losing in the semifinals, we knew we had a chance if we got some results from other regions playing in our favor,” said Batista. “Once we knew we qualified, we were sure we could compete against any team in the nation.”
“It sort of widens our view,” said Haoda. “This time last year, it sort of felt far away, but now it is almost like next year we want to be back there again, and want to make this a regular occurrence.”
Last year, both Haoda and Batista also reached the semifinals of the regional tournament, however there was no previous ranking that would put them in the picture for the national tournament.
The tennis players also highlighted the importance of the support they’ve constantly had. “I am really grateful to our head coach Gabe and assistant coach Jordan,” said Batista. “They were really great support for us. Coming into our court and talking to us really helps us stay calm and present.”
“Gabe and Jordi did a great job keeping us sane,” said Haoda. “I would say they really take the pressure off and not make it seem like it is too big of an experience or milestone. It’s just like another fun trip, which is probably the highlight for me.”
Coming into the new season for the spring, this experience left positive sensations for the tennis doubles pairing. “For me, it was really great to see that we are really close to the level of the best players,” said Batista. “It just changed our perspective coming into the next season realizing we can truly compete.”
“It was really good to get Jorge and Billy recognized for an at-large bid,” said teammate Moses Sawatzky from Goshen, Ind. “It shows that Bethel tennis is respected by the rest of the NAIA and Jorge and Billy have done a lot to earn that respect from us.”
Finally, Batista expressed appreciation for the support and care the Bethel community has shown throughout the tournament and his time here. “I am grateful for everybody here that stayed in touch and messaged us all the time,” he said. “My professors and friends are really supportive and on top of how we were doing so it truly makes us feel cared for.”
After a successful season in which Bethel won both the regular-season and conference tournament titles, Haoda and Batista’s national experience provides another milestone for the program. With the guidance of head coach Gabe Johnson and assistant coach Jordan Singh, the team will look to build on that success in the spring, carrying the confidence gained from competing against some of the best doubles teams in the NAIA.