For some student athletes, the pressure of balance can be overwhelming. For Villanova’s men’s tennis sophomore Tighe Brunetti, there’s a solution to finding the proper balance: enjoying it.
“He’s just a fun guy,” head coach Brad Adams said. “He’s obviously engaged in practice, but if we’re taking a two-minute break for water or something like that, he’s usually just joking around.”
Brunetti, who went 14-6 in the No. 2 singles spot and 11-3 at the No. 2 doubles spot last season, was the only Wildcat to be named to the All-Big East Team. Brunetti was also named Second Team Big East Freshman Year.
“I just want to keep getting better,” Brunetti said. “I want to keep doing the right things, and I thought I did a lot of things well last year, so I can just build on that for this year.”
While Brunetti proved himself on the court last season, it was also his success in building a good team dynamic that contributed to him being named a team captain.
“This year, I’m a captain, so my role is a little bit different, but in my head it’s honestly the same,” Brunetti said. “I’m super close with everyone on the team, which I feel is good. And I think our culture is good… we all enjoy spending time with each other, which I think is vital to success for this year.”
Brunetti also highlighted his jokes, saying they’re a vital part of enjoying his time with the team while also fostering a good team culture.
“I like to bring my energy every day…along with my jokes,” Brunetti said. “I definitely make some jokes that are sometimes stupid, sometimes funny. They’re hit or miss, but I think the guys appreciate that.”
Despite bringing some fun into practice and matches, part of enjoying being a collegiate athlete is finding the balance between academics and athletics. As a sophomore, Brunetti is still working on mastering this balance.
“It’s pretty rough, but I think using the resources that the school provides us with is very important,” he said. “Just staying on top of your work is important.”
Brunetti’s efforts to balance being a student athlete have also been noticed by Adams, who commended him for his attitude in all aspects of life.
“He basically represents the whole picture,” Adams said. “We want to be successful on the court, we want to be successful in the classroom, but Tighe also has the ability to kick back and just relax, which is good to see.”
As for the expectations that come with being named All-Big East, Brunetti is confident in his abilities to build off of his success freshman year.
“Pressure is privilege,” he said. “I think I’m definitely more confident now.”
Now, with the accolades under his belt, Brunetti is looking ahead to the upcoming season, not focused on winning, but simply just making progress and continuing to enjoy it.
“My goals are just to be dedicated in practice, make the most of my practices, weights and just be focused in matches,” Brunetti said. “I’m not too worried about the results right now, I just want to keep getting better.”
The Wildcats have two more preseason matches before the regular season begins. Villanova will first head to Richmond, VA for the River City Open on Oct. 6 to Oct. 8, followed by the ITA Regional Championships in Lynchburg, VA set for Oct. 10 to Oct. 16.
