ALEX DARION/THE ITHACAN SENIOR CAPTAIN ANDREA SCHWARTZ talks to assistant tennis coach Karen Neilson after practice Monday on the tennis courts behind the lower quads.

Senior captain Andrea Schwartz has the most career wins of any current Bomber, one of the highest winning percentages in Ithaca history and one other thing no one else on the team has — an injured right arm that has not let her play this season.

“I’ve had [the injury] since sophomore year,” Schwartz said. “I visited Dr. Andrew Getzin, and he diagnosed it as tendonosis.” Getzin, physician and director of athletic teams at Ithaca College, clarified what tendonosis is exactly.

“Tendinitis is when you inflame a tendon,” Getzin said. “Tendonosis is when there is an extended, long-standing abuse, and it isn’t as inflammatory.”

To deal with this problem, Schwartz has had to undergo many exercises to try to alleviate the tendonosis and help strengthen her arm.

“He put me on a training program at the training room,” Schwartz said. “I do ultrasound and stimulation along with flexibility and strengthening activities.”

These exercises are designed to get Schwartz healthy enough to contribute to the defending Empire Eight champions at the high level she played at during her first three seasons.

Last season, Schwartz was second on the team with 17 wins, which included a 10-3 record in doubles play. In the 1999-2000 season, she earned all-state honors in singles and doubles.

“I can play to my own ability if I can stand the pain,” Schwartz said. “It is going to be painful if I want to play.”

The pain is something that Schwartz, Coach Bill Austin and Getzin have all been cognizant of in dealing with the injury.

“I’m comfortable with her playing,” Getzin said. “If it makes the pain a little worse, I’m OK with that. I wouldn’t let her play if I thought there was a chance of serious injury.”

Austin agrees with that sentiment.

“I want her to play tennis for years to come,” Austin said. “We haven’t rushed her back, and we aren’t going to.”

The Bombers have played well without her so far this season, which is a sign of the their depth. Austin said the Blue and Gold has benefited from her presence at practice and during the games despite her not being able to compete. She encourages teammates during the matches and gives advice to them.

“The girls voted her captain,” Austin said. “She’s earned being a captain, and she’s earned it this season too.”

On a squad mostly made up of sophomores and freshmen, Schwartz’s 59 career wins are 19 more than the next highest total on the team, held by junior Heather Spann. Her 59 wins tie her for sixth place on Ithaca’s career list.

As a captain, Schwartz knows her role on the team all of the time, especially when not playing.

“Coach wants me there for my leadership and my tennis ability,” Schwartz said. “But he understands that he doesn’t want me to push it too hard.”

Part of easing back into things or not going full tilt right away is the type of competition that Schwartz will engage in if or when she returns.

“If I get to play this season, I’ll only play doubles, instead of singles and doubles which I would have played normally,” Schwartz said. “I’d rather play doubles than nothing.”

Limiting her play to doubles matches will put less strain on her arm due to the frequency of serving.

“In doubles I would have to serve a maximum of four times instead of every other game in singles,” Schwartz said.