Kotsyuba Delivers Again as Rams Topple San Diego State for First Time

FORT COLLINS, Colo. – On the sidelines, she wondered. Priscilla Palermo often was left alone with her thoughts.

Saturday at the Fort Collins Country Club, her teammate Anastasiia Kotsyuba was right there in a very real, not philosophical, way. For the second weekend in a row.

Colorado State's No. 6 singles player for the women's tennis team was the last match on the court. Again.

The match was tied at 3. Again.

Her result with San Diego State's Agustina Rimoldi would determine the team victor. Again.

And again, Kotsyuba came through in the clutch for the Rams, gutting out a 1-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory to secure a 4-3 team result, the first win for the Rams against the Aztecs.

Again, just like against Nevada six days prior. It's never a comfortable feeling, but it helps having been there before.

"I was really worried about it before the third set, because I was the clincher last week, and it was a huge pressure on me," Kotsyuba said. "Team support really helped me. I forgot about the fact I was the last person on the court, and they cheered me on so loud. I was just out there doing the best I could.

"I was more confident than I would have been if I would have lost it last week. That feeling that I can do it, that I can bring the win for the team really helped me this week."

The win moved the Rams to 3-4 on the season, with another home match Sunday against UNLV. That will be played outdoors at the CSU Tennis Complex, starting at 1 p.m.

This was the first week Colorado State coach Jarod Camerota had full lineup flexibility, which was going to leave him with a choice of who to play at the No. 6 singles spot. The fact Kotsyuba delivered the week before tilted the scales in her favor.

The position she's been in is rare, and now she's delivering like it's commonplace.

"That definitely was the deciding factor, was last week," Camerota said. "We told them Monday, we're probably going to have seven, and it's a tough decision we have to make, because that means we have a full team available.

"These were her first two 3-all, last-match-on opportunities. She's two-for-two in last match on. Some people don't get one in their whole career, and she's gotten two in two weeks. And she won them both. That's awesome what she's done."

Even more awesome considering the uncertainty of the season, one in which the Rams have lost eight scheduled matches for health and weather reasons.

Honestly, there was a lot for tennis players to consider on the surface heading into the school year. No fall season, and just a Mountain West slate in the spring. All due to a global pandemic which had wiped out the conference slate the season before.

That was enough for most, but senior Priscilla Palermo had another pressing concern – the left shoulder which had produced game-winners since she started playing the game. It had kept her out of practice early, then when she finally returned to the Rams' lineup, it was as a doubles player. She was still dealing with pain a bit, even in those circumstances. Playing singles again seemed so far off.

If ever. That's hard to take after earning All-Mountain West singles honors the year before. She actually wondered if she'd ever win a match again as an individual.

So Saturday's come-from-behind win at the No. 1 spot in a dual with San Diego State was remarkable on many levels. Most of all, it was quite simply a gift.

"It was just doubt. Just not knowing if I would full recover," Palermo said after her 2-6, 7-6 (1), 6-2 victory over Regina Pitts. "That was a really exciting win. That just made me fall in love with tennis all over again."

Because being on the sidelines wondering made all the bad scenarios come to the surface of her mind. Of finishing out her career on her teams, not in the training room. The idea of possibly not being at full strength if and when she came back. Curious if she'd have the mental fortitude to stare down a key point when things aren't going well.

Such as serving to stave off a match point, at deuce, having just put three consecutive serves in the net. She simply didn't think about what it all meant the next time she threw the ball up in the air, pulled back her racquet with her left arm and cut it loose.

She doesn't even remember how she won the point. But she did, to force a tiebreaker, which she stormed through 7-1. Then she never relented in taking the third set, building a 4-1 advantage before putting the final touches on her victory.

"Legs and breathe," she said. "You can't think, otherwise you'll psyche yourself out. I've done it so many times.

"That point – I don't even remember that point. I try not to dwell anymore, because that's gotten me into trouble in the past. That definitely juices me up. (Assistant coach) Scott Langs and Emma Corwin were on my court. That was definitely great energy. I'm just happy to be out there, and I'm proud of myself for just fighting back.

Palermo wasn't vocal about her win, not even a little animated. She calmly walked to the net to shake hands with her foe, but inside, she was a boiling pot of positive emotion.

The win answered so many questions for her. It starts off her final home weekend with a kick, and it presents her with promise for the final three matches of the season. In a year where any kind of relief is welcomed, Saturday gave her so much more.

A love for the game she's loved for so long.

"I mean, three matches left. This one will give me the confidence to go in," Palermo said. "This match was different because I was willing to lose to play my game, and win or lose, I would have been happy with how I played out there.

"It's hard to remember what the real thing is around these times. I mean, I've just been at a standstill on the sidelines, so getting back in there just made me remember and want to compete more."

Kotsyuba is taking advantage of her chances, too.

The life of the No. 6 player is rather uncertain, especially in a three-court, indoor setting, wondering if you'll even get a chance to warm up. Her first set Saturday did not offer promise, dropping it 6-1, but she was impressive from there on out, controlling the deciding set.

"The first set I was just trying to roll in and feel her game. I was trying to find my game," she said. "I like to attack, and sometimes you miss more than you want, so you need to find your pace. That first set, I was figuring out what I should do. The second set, I settled in and played my game."

And on the final point, she was the opposite of Palermo. She was expressive, and the look in her eyes as her teammates rushed her on the court to celebrate was pure elation.

Pressure replaced by pleasure.

"It's an incredible feeling. It's absolute happiness, and the fact you can contribute to your team winning, that you were the last person who decided everything, it's huge," she said. "I felt absolute happiness. I was proud of myself, and of the team, because they helped me a lot, for sure."

Just imagine, the Rams were a team a month ago wondering if they'd ever play again. Now they're on a two-match win streak, delivering on the goal they told their coach – that they were going to go out and have fun and enjoy the competition.

Winning, as Palermo and Kotsyuba will attest, is always the most fun.

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