General

March 7, 2011

By Rachel Blaj

It is common to hear about the average student looking forward to their weekend in anticipation of a moment of relaxation–a short but satisfying change of pace from their weekly responsibilities and a chance to recharge their batteries if you will. Yet when it comes to division I student athletes these moments can be few and far between, especially with a season comprised of nine out of ten weekends travelling around the country to face fierce competitors on their home courts. In this regard, the Husky women’s tennis team has spent their winter quarter not only as a group of hard working students during the week, but an even more diligent group of athletes on the weekends. They have learned to quickly adapt to the feeling of trips to the airport on Thursdays to spend their weekend performing the task they know and love; proving themselves on the tennis court.

“I’ve probably been away from Seattle more total than I’ve been in Seattle this quarter,” states experienced All-American senior Venise Chan. Of her four years on the team, Chan holds to stating this is hands down her hardest season yet due to their tough schedule. She also maintains that although “the first few weeks are hard to adjust, when we keep travelling on Thursdays we get used to the whole routine.” She considers the benefits of the travel on the team chemistry saying that, “As far as the team goes; travelling does help us bond because we get to spend so much time together.”

When about the challenge of this season’s schedule, junior Denise Dy answered flatly, “Yes. It definitely is difficult.” However, Dy, the sixth-ranked singles player in the country, did not hesitate to explain that “It is all mental, and we get through it.” This matter of fact attitude demonstrates the unquestionable drive and dedication the women’s tennis team carries with them on their trips across state borders and time zones that permits their success, and perhaps is a partial explanation for why they have stayed ranked in the nations top 25 teams despite their demanding schedule.


Denise does feel that the season has impacted her academics, and understandably so; “Since tennis is all year I have no choice but to take the same amount of classes every single quarter. There is not really a break quarter that we have, and it’s been really difficult when it comes to that because we’ve obviously missed almost every Friday, and 5 out of 10 Thursdays.” Luckily, professors here at the U have been as understanding of the athlete’s schedules as can be expected, which has helped a lot even if they haven’t “been able to get [their] way every single time.”

The lives of these athletes never seem to slow down, visiting places such as Michigan, Utah, Southern California (twice), Texas, Virginia, and as far as Florida in the season’s first two months. How exactly do they stay motivated amidst this tiresome schedule? The coaches get the credit for that one. According to Dy, “[The coaches] have done a very good job keeping us fresh and alive for every match. They have made sure to keep the daily practices as light and fun as possible so that we don’t get worn out.”

It would be completely reasonable for these athletes to lighten their academic load during season, but for some it just isn’t an option; whether they’re trying to get into their major and need to take tough prerequisite classes, or they have just been accepted into theirs and have an even more strict schedule to keep. Imagine juggling the strenuous classes of a psychology major, a business major, or a biochemistry major amidst travelling almost every weekend–this is just a peek at the academic load that three of the women’s tennis students have to keep up with.

Freshman Andjela Nemcevic, a native of Serbia, feels she has been forced to step up this year like she never has before in order to get everything she needs done. The tournament trips have been fun for the players, but not in the sense that one might think. “The court is where we have our fun,” says Nemcevic. They simply don’t have the time to take trips to site-see or shop, and they use all the time they have in the airport to study. “We basically try to use every moment we can to study because when we get there we need to practice and focus on tennis. When we get to the tournament that’s our job for the weekend, and we come home on Sunday nights we are so tired because of the time difference and everything.” Team dinners seem to be the one constant outing the team looks forward to on every trip.

Overall, the attitudes of the women’s tennis team toward the season’s schedule is considerably positive, and they look forward to next year’s home schedule being kinder towards them. At their single home weekend so far this year Nemcevic got to experience for the first time the energy and support of the Husky home fan base, and felt that she was able to find her rhythm and energy on the court that she hadn’t been able to find so easily all season. Despite the fact that she has had to make minor adjustments to her style of play away from home, she knows that, “At the Pac-10 level you just need to adjust, and quickly. There are no excuses you just have to do it.”

Unfortunately the Huskies were dealt another tough blow this weekend in Los Angeles, as Nemcevic injured her knee and was forced to retire against USC. She was unable to play the next day against UCLA and the Huskies were down to just five players. This weekend’s road matches at Oregon and at Washington State now present yet another major challenge for the Dawgs, but they have met this year’s challenging schedule with vigor and determination, and with their unbelievably hard work there is no doubt that they will continue to give Huskies everywhere a reason to be proud.

From www.gohuskies.com