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Colorado State University Athletics
Saturday, March 2
Fort Collins, CO
12:30 PM
Colorado State
1
vs
4
No. 62 Grand Canyon
While Defeated, Rams Are Not Discouraged
3/2/2024 5:37:00 PM | Women's Tennis
No. 62 Grand Canyon wins majority of close matches
FORT COLLINS – In terms of effort and level of play, the match hit the mark which was sought.
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The final result was what fell short.
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Hosting No. 62 Grand Canyon at the CSU Tennis Complex on Saturday, Colorado State's women's tennis team dropped a 4-1 decision, one which required a quick study of the box score to actually see the merits the Rams and coach Mai-Ly Tran found.
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In singles play, four of the matches required a third set, and five sets required a tiebreaker. Radka Buzkova's loss at No. 2 singles to Santa Strombacha required two of them in a 7-6 (6), 7-6 (4) decision.
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The Rams feel there's another level or two they can reach, and in this contest, they felt they took the necessary steps forward. Now 4-5 on the season, each of the losses have come to teams in the ITA rankings.
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"That's exactly how I felt. Midway through the match, I felt everyone was in good positions on their courts," Tran said. "I expected us to win this match, but everybody was battling on every court, and they have improved from the last few matches. We felt in control, which was nice; we were playing our tennis and how we wanted to. We just fell short on a few courts, but I think we're heading in the right direction."
Â
After the Antelopes took the doubles point with wins at the top two positions, it became clear early singles matches were going to be highly competitive from top to bottom. The sun was out for the early March matchup, but the wind would play a role, at times gusting, a constant reminder for the players uncontrollable factors are always in play and be addressed properly.
Â
Viktoryia Zhadzinskaya did at the No. 6 line in a 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 victory against Dania Deaifi. In a sport where adjustments are countered often, sometimes the most necessary are internally.
Â
"I'm proud I found a way," Zhadzinskaya said. "I knew I had to change my game a bit, and maybe instead of being very aggressive because it was windy, I told myself I'll run all day because my team needs me, and I'll stay on the court as long as I can to get every single point.
Â
"Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes you know what to change and it doesn't work, and you can lose and still make yourself proud. I like the quote. As long as you fight your tail off, that's all that matters."
Â
Zhadzinskaya has been splitting time with Logan Voeks at the No. 6 spot while being Buzkova's regular partner in doubles at No. 1. What Tran has liked is her willingness to be ready for each opportunity.
Â
She's played fewer singles matches this season than her teammates, but she is also 2-1 during the dual season after picking up her sixth victory overall.
Â
"I think she's been ready to go when she's called up to play, and she's been playing well in doubles, so I think that's been carrying into her singles," Tran said. "She's a competitor and ready to play, so it was awesome to see her get a win."
Â
Like Zhadzinskaya, Luana Avelar found herself at a set each with foe Iva Sepa at the No. 5 spot after winning the initial one. Unlike Zhadzinskaya, she didn't get to finish her match as the Lopes clinched.
Â
What she was able to do was give herself a pat on the back, which went nicely from the hug she gave herself on the court. It was a new plan of good vibes all around.
Â
"I love my serve. I love my forehand, I love my backhand and I love my slide, and those are affirmations I tried to tell myself in the game," Avelar said. "I feel this time I actually believed it, and that's why I think I played a much better match.
Â
"I think everyone is that way. Everyone has two voices in their head; maybe three, four, I don't know. Sometimes it's tough listening to one more than another, and it's usually two extremes. I'm not gonna lie, sometimes I play well with the negative voice in my head. I'm just so ticked, I go play well, but that hasn't been working. This time, I was like, maybe I'm actually going to be nice to myself, hug myself, embrace myself and just go out and play."
Â
Maybe it stemmed from what she was feeling from the squad during warmups. A split of matches last weekend didn't leave the team feeling overly positive with how they played, but a week later, against another ranked team, the Rams felt more ready to take on the challenge.
Â
That, Avelar said, set a better base from which to work.
Â
"I think we had a really big jump from last weekend, just in terms of competition," she said. "For me, I felt a different energy from everyone, and we were all ready to battle."
Â
It didn't work out perfectly, but improvement is necessary along the way to set up success for the ultimate goal, which is at the Mountain West Championships in Las Vegas at the end of April.
Â
The Rams still have time – they haven't hit conference play yet – and Tran respects the way they have all taken a personal responsibility for how they play. What's good, they try to make better. What isn't working, they're seeking solutions.
Â
"I think we're on the right track to our main goal, which is the conference championships," Zhadzinskaya said. "All this work is put in for April."
Â
Â
The final result was what fell short.
Â
Hosting No. 62 Grand Canyon at the CSU Tennis Complex on Saturday, Colorado State's women's tennis team dropped a 4-1 decision, one which required a quick study of the box score to actually see the merits the Rams and coach Mai-Ly Tran found.
Â
In singles play, four of the matches required a third set, and five sets required a tiebreaker. Radka Buzkova's loss at No. 2 singles to Santa Strombacha required two of them in a 7-6 (6), 7-6 (4) decision.
Â
The Rams feel there's another level or two they can reach, and in this contest, they felt they took the necessary steps forward. Now 4-5 on the season, each of the losses have come to teams in the ITA rankings.
Â
"That's exactly how I felt. Midway through the match, I felt everyone was in good positions on their courts," Tran said. "I expected us to win this match, but everybody was battling on every court, and they have improved from the last few matches. We felt in control, which was nice; we were playing our tennis and how we wanted to. We just fell short on a few courts, but I think we're heading in the right direction."
Â
After the Antelopes took the doubles point with wins at the top two positions, it became clear early singles matches were going to be highly competitive from top to bottom. The sun was out for the early March matchup, but the wind would play a role, at times gusting, a constant reminder for the players uncontrollable factors are always in play and be addressed properly.
Â
Viktoryia Zhadzinskaya did at the No. 6 line in a 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 victory against Dania Deaifi. In a sport where adjustments are countered often, sometimes the most necessary are internally.
Â
"I'm proud I found a way," Zhadzinskaya said. "I knew I had to change my game a bit, and maybe instead of being very aggressive because it was windy, I told myself I'll run all day because my team needs me, and I'll stay on the court as long as I can to get every single point.
Â
"Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes you know what to change and it doesn't work, and you can lose and still make yourself proud. I like the quote. As long as you fight your tail off, that's all that matters."
Â
Zhadzinskaya has been splitting time with Logan Voeks at the No. 6 spot while being Buzkova's regular partner in doubles at No. 1. What Tran has liked is her willingness to be ready for each opportunity.
Â
She's played fewer singles matches this season than her teammates, but she is also 2-1 during the dual season after picking up her sixth victory overall.
Â
"I think she's been ready to go when she's called up to play, and she's been playing well in doubles, so I think that's been carrying into her singles," Tran said. "She's a competitor and ready to play, so it was awesome to see her get a win."
Â
Like Zhadzinskaya, Luana Avelar found herself at a set each with foe Iva Sepa at the No. 5 spot after winning the initial one. Unlike Zhadzinskaya, she didn't get to finish her match as the Lopes clinched.
Â
What she was able to do was give herself a pat on the back, which went nicely from the hug she gave herself on the court. It was a new plan of good vibes all around.
Â
"I love my serve. I love my forehand, I love my backhand and I love my slide, and those are affirmations I tried to tell myself in the game," Avelar said. "I feel this time I actually believed it, and that's why I think I played a much better match.
Â
"I think everyone is that way. Everyone has two voices in their head; maybe three, four, I don't know. Sometimes it's tough listening to one more than another, and it's usually two extremes. I'm not gonna lie, sometimes I play well with the negative voice in my head. I'm just so ticked, I go play well, but that hasn't been working. This time, I was like, maybe I'm actually going to be nice to myself, hug myself, embrace myself and just go out and play."
Â
Maybe it stemmed from what she was feeling from the squad during warmups. A split of matches last weekend didn't leave the team feeling overly positive with how they played, but a week later, against another ranked team, the Rams felt more ready to take on the challenge.
Â
That, Avelar said, set a better base from which to work.
Â
"I think we had a really big jump from last weekend, just in terms of competition," she said. "For me, I felt a different energy from everyone, and we were all ready to battle."
Â
It didn't work out perfectly, but improvement is necessary along the way to set up success for the ultimate goal, which is at the Mountain West Championships in Las Vegas at the end of April.
Â
The Rams still have time – they haven't hit conference play yet – and Tran respects the way they have all taken a personal responsibility for how they play. What's good, they try to make better. What isn't working, they're seeking solutions.
Â
"I think we're on the right track to our main goal, which is the conference championships," Zhadzinskaya said. "All this work is put in for April."
Â
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
2,1
#1 Singles Match
1234
Natasha Puehse / 0 [GCU]
6630
732UF
#2 Singles Match
12
Santa Strombacha / 0 [GCU]
77
66
#3 Singles Match
12
Elizaveta Morozova / 0 [GCU]
66
13
#4 Singles Match
1234
Iva Sepa / 0 [GCU]
6610
743UF
#5 Singles Match
123
Valeriia Krokhotina / 0 [GCU]
666
724
#6 Singles Match
123
Dania Deaifi / 0 [GCU]
632
266
Order of Finish:
3,6,2,5
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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