Veterans are the players on any team who can be turned to for experience, leadership and, ideally, talent. One such leader for the Irish this season will be senior Daniel Rayl, and as head coach Ryan Sachire has noted, Rayl serves as a great presence within the program.
“I think it’s safe to say everyone loves Danny. He is one of the most diligent, hardworking kids that we have on the team, I’d say that he’s one of the most respected teammates I’ve ever coached,” Sachire said. “He is super professional and extremely reliable. You know what you’ll get from him and he’s a good guy to have on our team.”
As Sachire mentioned, Rayl has been a part of great things as a member of the senior class at Notre Dame, but before coming to the program he maintained a consistent level of success on the court. Besides recording tremendous individual stats in high school — highlighted by his winning the Indiana state singles championships during his junior and senior seasons — he even made quarterfinals of the national championship in doubles with his high school partner Sameer Kumar, who went on to Stanford.
Rayl comes from an athletic family and has two brothers who have played collegiate sports. Sachire is hoping him to see him have his best season yet this year, having showed significant potential in his time at Notre Dame.
“You know, our team has some very good players and a lot of roles are still up for grabs. With things up in the air, Danny will absolutely be in the mix,” Sachire said. “Throughout his career, he’s been successful when he’s had his opportunities, and I hope he continues to stay healthy and make progress because when he’s clicking, Danny is good. My hope for him is that things come to fruition and he has his best year he can possibly have and serve as a leader on and off the court.”
Rayl has continued his success on the court during his time at Notre Dame, going 15-6 in singles his freshman year as well as 11-6 in singles sophomore year. However, as he now enters his final year with the program, his role changes to be a leader both on and off the court, and Sachire believes he is up to the challenge.
“I think he’s leading by example on a daily basis. He takes care of himself and works hard every day,” Sachire said. “One of the best compliments I can give him is that he is super consistent as a person, as an individual and as a teammate. The team knows they’ll get his best attitude and work ethic, and what he puts into tennis and contributes to the team is what you want day in and day out. You know you’ll get something out of him, and his teammates respond to that.”
On the roster, Rayl is one of four seniors playing out their last year. The senior class for the Irish has accomplished a great deal and is coming off a season in which the squad finished nationally ranked. As such, Sachire knows a lot will be expected of his talented and experienced senior leaders.
“In this senior class that has achieved a lot, all of those guys have individually had big moments and accomplished great things. They’ve seen everything collegiate tennis has to offer and have been very successful,” Sachire said. “They draw on their experience in the past as teammates and individuals, and it’s served us well. We look to them to lead the way this season and be a catalyst for our team moving throughout this semester and into the spring as well.”
