Rams Stay in State to Take First Swings of Season

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FORT COLLINS, Colo. – There isn't a better time of year for a tennis coach.

A chance not only to start playing but get off on the right foot. To see veterans accept their roles and newcomers to find their place, and in the fall, coaches get to test where players are at and set a course for the future.

That's what Colorado State coach Mai-Ly Tran is aiming to see when the Rams head to the Bedford Cup at the Air Force Academy this weekend. Play starts Thursday and runs through Sunday's final matches.

"The start of the season is always an exciting time and especially the first competition," she said. "Nothing changes in what I look for from any other match; how the girls compete, and their attitude are fundamental components are what will be key."

Thursday will feature two rounds of doubles play, while the final three days will all have singles and doubles rounds. Colorado State will see Mountain West foes Air Force, Boise State, New Mexico, Utah State and Wyoming during the weekend, as well as the squads from BYU, Denver, Idaho, Idaho State and Montana State.

The Rams feature a veteran lineup with five returners, led by Radka Buzkova, an All-Mountain West selection in singles and doubles the past two seasons. She is one of six players who return to the team who won at least 15 matches in 2022-23. The team is coming off the best dual season in program history, recording 16 victories, including an 8-0 mark on their home court and featuring a seven-match win streak.

Individually, both Buzkova and Sarka Richterova are on the cusp of marking their names in the record books. Buzkova enters the 2023-24 campaign six wins shy of cracking the top 10 for career victories, 11 for the notation in dual play. Richterova needs six wins to crack the top 10 in career doubles victories, four in dual action.

Having experience on hand is always a plus for Tran.

"Experience is always helpful and especially at the start of the season when the freshman are adjusting to show them the ropes and be part of the culture that we have built here," she said.

Thursday's first matches will take to the court at 3:30 p.m., while the remaining three days are set for 9 a.m. starts.

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- STALWART -

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