Photo by Georgia State Athletics
Georgia State women’s tennis team has begun its spring season on a hot starting out 4-1. They dominated their first two matches against UAB, 7-0, and Samford, 6-1. The team did not lose a single singles match in those games, going 12-0 and went 3-2 in doubles play.
The Panthers then routed Furman 6-1, where the team went 5-1 in singles play and went 2-1 in doubles play. The Panthers won their next game in clutch fashion against No. 29 South Carolina Gamecocks. After being down 3-1, senior Linn Timmermann and freshmen Chiara Volejnicek and Daniela Ramirez were able to win the last three matches to secure the 4-3 win. The Panthers then lost their first game of the season to Florida International at home, 5-2.
What’s changed since the fall?
“We have an additional player that we added from last season which makes our lineup stronger,” head coach Jason Marshall said about the difference between the team this semester and fall 2015. “I also think that our freshman have had a chance to settle in after a semester. It is much easier to play when you are comfortable and adapted to conditions.”
The Panthers came into the new fall season with two freshmen and four returning players. Volejnicek and Vovk were the new incoming freshmen and came straight into the fall season with no college experience. So when almost half of the team has little experience, expect them to stumble in the beginning couple of tournaments.
The fall season consists of only six tournaments for the team to play in and gain some more experience. The most important tournament out of the six would be the USTA/ITA Southeast Regional Invitational. There were already high stakes coming into the tournament, but to go into it for your first time makes it even more nerve racking.
In the Southeast Regionals in singles play, Volejnicek lost in the very first round 6-4 and 6-1. Vovk didn’t do any better as she lost in the first round as well losing both sets 6-0. The freshmen not only struggled in singles matches, but in the doubles matches as well. In doubles play Volejnicek lost 8-2 and Vovk lost 8-5. It was definitely a learning experience for the freshmen coming into their first USTA tournament at the collegiate level.
However Coach Marshall is right, the freshman just needed to settle in and get their feet wet. In the last tournament of the season, the one right after the USTA tournament, the Georgia State Fall Invitational, Vovk and Volejnicek went undefeated in singles play. The team as whole went 16-0 in singles play to end the fall season on a high note.
Starting out the spring season 4-1 shows that Vovk and Volejnicek have finally begun to settle in to the college level. Volejnicek is currently 4-1 in singles play and Vovk is 3-2 in singles play.
Photos Submitted by Georgia State Athletics
The team added another freshmen Ramirez from Venezuela who Marshall considers to be the strong player. Marshall is correct, Ramirez is really good and doing exceptionally well considering she is a freshmen. She is currently 5-0 in singles play on the season. Plus Ramirez was clutch in her performance against No. 29 ranked South Carolina. The team being down 3-2, Ramirez lost her first set 3-6, but managed to bring herself back and win the next two sets 6-1 and 6-4. Ramirez has been a great addition to the team and is one of the big reasons the team is on such a hot start.
Now that the freshmen are playing on such a high level, it has made the Panthers roster even stronger than it already was in the beginning of the year. The Panthers have four returning players from the fall season and all four players earned All Sun Belt Conference Honors. The team has strong leadership from its senior Timmermann, who helped encourage the team onto its victory against South Carolina. Timmerman is currently 4-1 in singles play in the spring season.
Rasolomalala is the only other senior on the team and is currently 2-2 on the season. She did not play in singles competition against Furman. Kamoe is the only junior on the team and is currently 2-0 on the season. However she is 3-2 in doubles play this season. Then there is the lone sophomore Kristin Rehse, who is 3-1 in singles play this season.
The team has a good mixture of veterans and freshmen players. This combination is perfect for good chemistry and experience, as well as youthfulness and team continuity as the seasons go on. Coach Marshall loves the great start but he still wants his team to stay focused.
“We have a lot of tennis to play”, Marshall said. “My main focus is continuing to work and develop in areas we need to improve, continue maintaining our physical fitness level, and being positive each day we come out on the court with ourselves and each other.”
With Coach Marshall steering this great roster, there is no doubt that they will keep this hot start going.
