Colorado State University Athletics
Colorado State
Northern Arizona
Rams Tennis Bounces Back with Win over Northern Arizona
2/24/2024 5:04:00 PM | Women's Tennis
Lennon impresses in first singles match at No. 1
A bad week on the road. A wonderful response at home.
After Zara Lennon won the Colorado State tennis team's only point in a two-match road trip against BYU and Utah, coach Mai-Ly Tran was comfortable moving her up to her first match at the No. 1 singles game.
She did not disappoint, beating Northern Arizona's Patryc Niewiadomska 6-2, 6-4.Â
She only found out about her placement the day before, so there were some nerves to get over. Definitely a desire to perform well.
"I was happy because I got to play in the top spot, but at the same time I wanted to do well," Lennon said. "It was a mixed feeling to know I was gonna play the No. 1, but I think I did a good job hiding it, too."
The decision to play her at No. 1 for the first time was rooted in the confidence both had gained during the matches last week. There wasn't a ton to be happy about, but Lennon was a bright spot.
Tran said Lennon and Radka Buzkova, who usually takes that role, are equally good in that position, but she was happy with the way Lennon rose to the occasion.
Her doubles match to start the day, which she won 6-4 with partner Sarah Weekley, was part of the tone the team tried to set for the day after the results on the road last week.Â
The Rams won the doubles point, then won four of six singles matches to win the dual 5-2. The dominant performance, during which there were no three-set matches, extended the Rams' home winning streak to 16 straight.
"We were really happy to be back home, and playing outside is a factor, too," Tran said. "Some of our players really thrive in this environment, and I think they came into practice and had a great attitude during the week. They don't like losing, so they worked hard and they were ready for today."
Most of the preparation was from a mental standpoint, according to Lennon.Physically, the team thought it was in a good position to do well. They gave themselves chances in some of the singles matches against BYU and Utah, but couldn't pull off any more than one win.
"We started practicing outside Monday, which I think put us in a good position," Lennon said. "It was a lot of encouragement (from Tran) this week. Yeah, we had a tough weekend, but I felt like the singles were a lot closer than it looks on the score. So she told us all week to keep playing our game and keep moving forward."
Now, they'll look to do the same against Colorado on Sunday at the CSU Tennis Complex at 12 p.m.
The Rams are 1-33 against CU all-time, but the lone win came two years ago, which was the last time the teams squared off. After one of the Rams' biggest wins so far this season, naturally there's a bit more belief in getting win number two against the Buffs.
"We get a lot of confidence, especially to the players who haven't felt great," Tran said. "Just going from last weekend, reassuring them we're back on track and being genuinely excited for the battle. We didn't play them last year, but we had a great match last time we did play them."
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
2,3,1
#1 Singles Match
#2 Singles Match
#3 Singles Match
#4 Singles Match
#5 Singles Match
#6 Singles Match
Order of Finish:
3,2,6,1,4,5
