FRESHMAN ALI PATTERSON reaches for a shot during a match. Patterson brought in one of the seven wins the team had this weekend at home. Photo: Sarah Andrews
What a difference a week makes.
Just one week ago the women’s tennis team had an 0-6 record and were scrounging for opportunities to get back on track. Two matches, and two wins later, the women’s tennis team has some momentum for the first time this season as they prepare for this weekend’s contests.
Some Bulldogs said that last weekend’s wins against Rockhurst University and Gustavus Adolphus College were the turnaround their season needed. Last weekend the young squad played their best tennis of 2010.
“Well after a rough start to the season so far we really wanted to win this weekend,” said sophomore and team captain Gabby Demos. “We practiced hard all week and really buckled down on the big points to close out matches.”
In previous matches the big points were what alluded the team at the most crucial moments. Unfortunately it’s hard to practice those momentum-changing points in practice, so the team had to rely on their confidence to get a quick start against both teams.
“It definitely helped us that we beat them last year,” said freshman and top singles player Manca Krizman. “So we already had the confidence going into the matches.”
The Bulldogs would win the doubles point in both matches, giving them a beneficial boost in singles play.
“Like the rest of the team I struggled winning the important points, especially break points,” said Demos. “I decided I really need to capitalize on those this weekend to win.”
Krizman and Demos, who combine to form Drake’s No. 1 doubles team, believe that working on doubles in practice as well as playing together every match now has them as a legitimate doubles team in the conference.
“We are really getting to know each other as a team,” Demos said. “We started as two singles players sharing a court and now I think we’ve become a real team that can predict each other’s movements and decisions.”
Krizman said that not only she and Demos are improving at doubles, but the entire team as well. The Bulldogs have become noticeably more confident and dominant at the net, helping them close out the doubles matches quickly and efficiently.
The Bulldogs’ next task is to keep the momentum going this weekend when they face Nebraska-Omaha, Missouri-Kansas City and Chicago State in a time span of two days.
“It will psychologically be important to keep our momentum going,” said Krizman. “We will have to stay focused from the beginning to the end.”
Demos believes that the sooner the team can finish Saturday’s match the better they will fare the rest of the weekend. The key to that, Demos said, is that the entire team remains strong in serving and returning while maintaining their confidence in their play.
“Two matches in one day is a rare thing in the season, but I feel we are in good enough shape to handle it,” she said. “In our morning match against Omaha we are going to have to focus even more on closing out matches and making them as short as possible to conserve our energy for UMKC that night.”
Look for the Bulldogs’ women in action starting this Saturday at 10 a.m. in the Roger Knapp Tennis Center against Nebraska-Omaha. Drake takes on UMKC at 6 p.m. and then Chicago State on Sunday at 2 p.m.
Loading ...