Athlete Spotlight: Mark Wood

Jose Rodriguez '24, Staff Writer | Media & Communications

SALEM, Mass.- Our athlete spotlight features the reigning Little East Conference (LEC)  Rookie of the Week Mark Wood (Lynn, Mass.).  Wood went 6-0 for Salem State (3-0) at 3rd singles and 1st doubles. Wood did not allow a point against Lesley, winning 6-0, 6-0 at singles and teamed with Cory Cherico (Winthrop, Mass.)  for an 8-0 doubles victory against Nick Rosen / James Ontiveros. Wood picked up a 6-1, 6-4 at singles and an 8-4 decision at doubles in a 6-3 win against Thomas. He clinched the victory against Vermont Castleton with a 6-2, 7-5 singles victory and again teamed with Cherico for an 8-1 doubles win.

The freshman wasn't surprised by his achievement. "I was not surprised to be named LEC Rookie of the Week. I have been playing my best tennis lately and I am on a four-game win streak for both singles and doubles. I look forward to being named rookie of the week again. Everything is working well for me. My serves, forehands, and backhands were consistent and effective."

Wood mentioned the match against Lesley that he won in two straight sets, 6-0, 6-0 and how it lifted his confidence for the next two matches against Thomas (ME) and Vermont State. "Both the singles and doubles match against Lesley were quick and easy. Winning without losing a single game boosted my confidence significantly. This match helped me find my winning mentality, as I won in straight sets against Thomas and Castleton." He also added, "The match against Thomas was huge to keep our momentum and winning streak. The doubles match was pretty close. There was a moment in the match where the opponents came back to 4-3 from being 4-0 down, and we held our service game to kill our opponent's momentum. My singles match was similar. I had trouble closing the match in the second set due to unforced errors and double faults, but I still pulled out a win in the end."

Wood, who is currently a mathematics major with a minor in chemistry, talked about the team's first conference win of the season against Castleton State. "The first conference win against Castleton was huge as well. Although losing the first two conference matches, we didn't lose hope in winning the conference. There are still two conference matches against UMass Boston and Bridgewater State, and we can still get a good seeding entering the playoffs." He also added about his performance that clinched the victory against the Spartans. "The win was really important to me and the team. My game plan going into the match was to win points at the net, but my opponent was really good at lobs. I won the first set comfortably 6-2 but the second set was completely different. I was down 5-2 and was in danger of losing the second set and going into a 10-point match tie-break. I kept my composure, adapted my game plan to my opponent's play style and won five games in a row, winning 7-5 in the second set and the match."

The first-year student spoke of the importance of turning the page and bouncing back after dropping the first five games to begin the season. "Accepting losses for the first five matches was really tough for me. I was doubting myself and I felt horrible for letting my team down. The first win changed everything, giving the whole team hope and confidence."

He brought up the conversation that he had with his teammates, who he partnered with in doubles. "I played doubles with Kevin [Merino-Rivas] in my first match, Wilkins in the second match, and Michael [Muttiah] in my third, fourth, and fifth. For the sixth and following matches, I am playing with Cory [Cherico]. Playing with Cory is really fun, and I enjoy being his partner. Cory and I have similar playing styles and we communicate well. Cory's words of encouragement between points and after my mistakes helped me a lot to regain control and composure. Our current doubles line-ups are working well, and we will discuss if we keep it for the remaining regular season matches and the playoffs."

Wood communicated about the importance of staying hot in the final few weeks of the season as the Vikings are on a four-game winning streak. "It is very important to be ready for the next two conference matches we have left, and we will be fully prepared. These games will be crucial, as it decides what seed we enter the playoff tournament."

The Lynn native articulated about his progression from pre-season until now. "During pre-season and the first few matches, I wasn't playing my best due to the nerves and the stress I was feeling. I doubted my shots and kept losing concentration. Now, I can hit consistently with much less unforced errors, and I play shots with purpose and confidence. I hope to keep it up for the rest of the season." Additionally, he added what he wants to work on for the rest of the season. "I want to fine tune my shots and play some practice sets with my teammates and my coaches. There's not much to improve in two weeks, but maintaining the level we're at right now would be great going into the upcoming matches."

Wood talks about his inspirations that inspired him to play the game of tennis. "Coach Tsai has been my inspiration since he introduced me to tennis and coached me in Taiwan. He is a professional tennis player and taught me starting from the very basics of tennis. He made practice really fun and challenging. I am still in contact with him, and he coaches me during the summer when I go back to Taiwan. There are also other tennis players that inspire me, such as Nick Kyrgios and Rafael Nadal." He spoke about his go-to meal before a tennis match. "My go-to meal is Taiwanese beef noodle soup. It is my favorite dish, and my mom makes the best beef noodle soup."

He never envisioned playing tennis at the colligate level as soccer was his sport. "I've played tennis for three years, but I never thought I would be playing tennis at the collegiate level. I played soccer growing up and I dreamed of becoming a soccer player, but I fell in love with tennis."  He also added "I'd like to thank my parents for coming to watch me play. I'd also like to thank Coach Chen and my teammates for their hard work."

Next up for Wood and the Vikings is a Little East Conference (LEC) match-up on the road against UMass.-Boston on Saturday April 20.  The match is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.