Rams Open Long Weekend with Win

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Feb 7

4:00 PM

Women's Tennis

at Denver

Feb 8

11:30 AM

Women's Tennis

vs Minnesota

Feb 20

5:00 PM

Women's Tennis

at Brigham Young

Feb 28

12:30 PM

Women's Tennis

vs North Florida

Mar 7

12:00 PM

Women's Tennis

at UC Irvine

LARAMIE, Wyo. – The first step was having a reason to be happy. The best part was having the emotion grow throughout the day.

"It's amazing to be back. I mean, this team is incredible," said Annika Planinsek, still beaming a smile long after Colorado State's 4-1 victory over Idaho on Friday. "It's incredible to share the court with them. Not being able to play for the first two weeks, it wasn't nice, but I'm back and it's good."

The junior missed the first four duals of the season dealing with an ailment, watching and cheering from the side, longing to be able to play. It's early in the dual season, but Colorado State coach Mai-Ly Tran has already had to navigate the bumps and bruises which have led to an altered lineup the first month.

Through a bit of tinkering and a dash of circumstance, Friday's match with Idaho at the Wyoming Tennis Complex led to the eighth doubles pairing she penciled into the lineup. The best part is it hasn't affected performance with her Rams taking the doubles point in four of the first five matches as the team improved to 3-2.

There are benefits to having set pairings and letting them start to build momentum, but the approach from the players is they'll play with anybody on the team and expect good results.

"I think one thing we mainly focus on, especially in practice, is the ability to be adaptable. So, making sure you're going in with a positive mindset to every single pairing that you're going in," Sorcha Caves said. "And all the girls like love playing with each other, so I don't think it really matters to us who we play with.

"It's just so important right now finding out who are the correct pairings, who merges well together. So, I think the biggest thing is being adaptable."

She and Luana Avelar posted a win at the top spot, while the No. 3 tandem of Planinsek and Logan Voeks sealed the deal to give the team a lead heading into singles.

Adaptable. Such as having just one practice together before taking the court when results matter. Planinsek viewed their 6-3 win as the start of something fun, amplifying her reason for smiling.

Important for her stepping on the court for the first time as a Ram. Important to the Rams to point them in the right direction.

"That was our first time playing doubles. (Thursday) we practiced together, but the first time was yesterday," Planinsek said. "We matched really well, so it was really nice.

"It's really good to win doubles because in college tennis, it's momentum, it's really important. Winning the doubles point gives you that momentum forward into singles. It's always easier to have to win three than four."

The team went to work on doing so in short order, as wins came from the top three spots. Caves was the first off the court with her 6-3, 6-2 victory at No. 2 against Naomi Schrader. Avelar wasn't too far behind her with a 6-4, 6-3 decision at No. 1.

For Caves, the day was a matter of finding a rhythm early and riding the wave, easier said than done and a rare blessing in the sport.

"I think I really do appreciate it when it happens. Tennis is a game of ups and downs … It's never going to be simple and you're always going to have your own challenges," Caves said. "But today my main focus was staying out of my head and putting my thoughts on my opponent, which really does help me get into a rhythm.

"Honestly, it builds your confidence throughout the match. So I'm hoping today will help build for the next few matches."

The team does too, as it just started a stretch of three matches in as many days.

The clinching point came from Leyla Tozin at No. 3, needing three sets to get there, closing out Chenyue Xu 6-3, 4-6, 6-3. The duration of her match allowed all six of CSU's singles players to get time on the court, including Planinsek.

Again, another positive for her to enjoy. Same for Tran.

"It's just nice to have Annika return to play. She looked really great, and Logan and Annika have a good relationship," Tran said. "I think that translated to the court today without that much practice. Annika looked great, and we've been kind of trying to ease her into this weekend because we have such a big weekend, so happy to see that she didn't get a full match."

The weekend could be daunting if viewed for the entirety. Caves says they all see it, but the approach is the key. Worry about the present in the present and the future when it actually arrives.

"Coach was very good this week about planning our practices, so you don't feel too heavy going into it. It's exciting," Caves said, noting Saturday's dual with Denver. "The matchups we've got this week are really like they're good teams, and I think everyone on this team embraces that challenge. I want to stay excited and especially for (Saturday) because I used to be in the same league as Denver. "

"I think you just have to focus on that day-to-day and you can't think about the future, just focusing on today. What can I do today? How can I show up in every way I can?"

Be it three days in a row or getting to play for the first time. Planinsek will tell you, you take it all as it comes and you simply enjoy it.

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Players Mentioned

Luana Avelar

Sorcha Caves

Annika Planinsek

Leyla Tozin

Logan Voeks

Players Mentioned

Luana Avelar

Sorcha Caves

Annika Planinsek

Leyla Tozin

Logan Voeks

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