Program Doubles Up on a First
Rams sending two pairings to ITA Fall Nationals
This week is a big step forward for the program and for first-year head coach Mai-Ly Tran. Imagine what it means to the players themselves.
For the first time in program history, Colorado State women’s tennis team will be represented at the ITA Fall National Championships, held Nov. 4-7 at the Barnes Tennis Complex in San Diego, Calif.
“It’s an incredible feeling. It’s my last year, and that was one of my biggest goals, besides what comes later in the season and winning a conference championship,” Matea Mihaljevic said. “Just having the opportunity to go out there and see all those big schools and good teams and just compete, all of us together, I think it’s kind of a dream come true.”
All together is key.
Not only are the Rams there for the first time, they’re well represented with two doubles teams qualifying for the 32-team field through their play at the ITA Mountain Regionals. Mihaljevic and partner Radka Buzkova qualified automatically by winning the tournament, earning their victory over teammates Some Dalla-Bona and Sarka Richterova. They made the field via as a wild-card selection.
In marking this occasion, the two doubles teams knocked down a series of firsts for the Rams. First time to have a doubles team in the regional semifinals. First time to have a doubles team reach a regional final, let alone both entrants, guaranteeing the first regional champion in program history.
“I think it’s rare to have two teams make it to the finals of regionals, and I think, honestly, were all still soaking it all in,” CSU head coach Mai-Ly Tran said. “We’re excited for the opportunity. I’ll process it once we get there. It’s a great moment as a coach to see your teams make it that far and see the excitement for the girls to see where their hard work has paid off.”
Tran has felt all along her doubles teams would be a strength for the team, and nothing this fall has disputed her belief, including the play of a third team, Tracy Guo and Lucia Natal. But they have surprised her a bit, playing so well so early in the season.
As they started practice, Tran talked to some of the players about who they felt comfortable with. Mihaljevic said immediately she felt Buzkova would be a good partner for her. Buzkova said no one asked her, for a preference, but if they had, nothing would look different.
“Coach didn’t ask me who I wanted to play with. Then she told me I was going to play with Matea, so I was really excited,” she said. “I thought it was going to work because she has an amazing backhand. We fit really well together. I think we won the very first tournament, then we only lost one match the whole semester.”
Buzkova and Mihaljevic have been paired all fall, posting a 15-1 record. They started the season by winning the Bedford Cup, then took second at the Beach Classic before storming the bracket at regionals, where they took down two seeded teams.
I think it’s rare to have two teams make it to the finals of regionals, and I think, honestly, were all still soaking it all in,. We’re excited for the opportunity. I’ll process it once we get there. It’s a great moment as a coach to see your teams make it that far and see the excitement for the girls to see where their hard work has paid off.Mai-Ly Tran
Dalla-Bona and Richterova were not paired until regionals, and like their teammates, knocked off ranked foes to make the finals – including the top seed. They have posted a 7-2 mark this fall.
Colorado State is one of five schools to have two doubles teams qualified, along with Virginia, North Carolina, Iowa State and Stanford. The hard part was waiting to find out both qualified. There were mixed messages throughout the tournament. At the start, they were led to believe all finalists would qualify for nationals. The day of the match, they found out it wasn’t true, so when they played each other, it felt really odd to face teammates with so much on the line.
It wasn’t until two days after they found out both teams were qualified.
“It was so crazy. First we were excited we were all going, then we find out it was just the winner, then we played,” Buzkova said. “Then we found out a couple days after, so we were all excited. We really wanted to share all the happiness with our teammates. We were happy for them, and obviously for us.”
Dalla-Bona and Richterova were not paired until regionals, and like their teammates, knocked off ranked foes to make the finals – including the top seed. Yet, their results suggest they have come together naturally, and in short order.
They have posted a 7-2 record in just two tournaments together, and they only feel they’ll get better in time.
“It was pretty quick. She’s easy to play with, so it was good,” Dalla-Bona said. “I would say she has a very big serve, so it’s easy for me to cross. The same with her ground strokes; she can hit very good deep balls, and then I can just look at the net.”
Whatever happens this week, all feel the experience will only make them better when the spring dual season begins in February. They’re proud of being able to be the first at Colorado State to make the national field, and they hope it’s only the start of many firsts they can check off.
At practice they continue to explore new tactics and techniques, but in getting ready to face some of the top teams in the nation, Richterova said this isn’t really the time to alter much, just enjoy the moment and go after all they can.
“Going out to nationals, we’re just going to play our best game,” she said. “We’re not going to change anything right now, because we don’t have time. That’s a process. Well play our best, see what the other people are coming with.
“I think that we never really thought we were going to make it to nationals ever. It’s an once-in-a-lifetime experience. It’s going to be awesome to be there; it’s a dream. We were just playing to have fun, and we were having fun the whole time together for the first time, and we just clicked.”
The draws have not yet been released for a field which includes five teams ranked in the ITA preseason top 60. Play begins Thursday with the opening round of both singles and doubles for men and women. Doubles play will be best-of-three sets.