Minnesota Gophers tennis ending season early due to injuries
A tennis ball bounces into the net during Day Three of the Atlanta Open at Atlantic Station on July 27, 2022 in Atlanta Georgia. (Photo by Adam Hagy/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Injuries have forced the University of Minnesota women's tennis team to end its season early, the Gophers announced on Wednesday.
Mark Coyle, the U's athletics director, said the team won't compete for the rest of the season due to a rash of injuries, leaving the team with just three healthy players.
"Our first concern is always the health and safety of our student-athletes," Coyle said in a statement. "This is an unfortunate and extremely unique situation where we no longer have enough healthy student-athletes to compete for the remainder of the season. We have communicated our situation to the Big Ten, and I commend our student-athletes who have proudly competed for the Maroon and Gold this year. This is an extremely difficult way for their season to end. Our goal is to help our student-athletes recover and to field a healthy and competitive roster for the 2023-24 academic year."
The Gophers competed routinely with just four players, earing a 5-12 record "under difficult circumstances," the U said.
Minnesota had five regular-season matches left on their scheduled, as well as the Big Ten Tournament. The remaining matches will be recorded as a forfeit.