Erica Pickering
Hanna Haber prepares to return the ball to oppenents at the Jon Messick Invitational match at the CSU Tennis Complex in Fort Collins Colorado on Friday Sept. 12th. Photo taken by Erica Pickering.
Colorado State women’s tennis got the first feel for their new team at the Jon Messick Invitational.
The tournament started Friday and finished Sunday, proving itself to be a great way for CSU tennis to start off the year at home.
“The obvious difference is just having some more players on the team, which helps with support for each other,” head coach Mai-Ly Tran said. “And I think that having some some extra players to play with and against really helps with getting hitting partners and practice play in.”
Coming off last season, CSU has three returning players: Diana Lizarazo, Luana Avelar and Logan Voeks. Avelar missed the entirety of last season for injury. For her, this tournament was a breath of fresh air and a great opportunity to get back in the swing of things.
After injuries took her out Saturday, Avelar came back Sunday to win her match 6-1.
“I had some losses, but regardless, I was just so happy to be on the court and not on the sidelines,” Avelar said. “So, that’s just a very special feeling that I’ve been waiting for a very long time for.”
Sunday wasn’t only for the returning faces in the roster, however, as this year’s class of first-years are already doing quite nicely with a couple impressive wins under their belts.
First-year Stella Simpson-Morgan and Dylan Voeks won flights F and H respectively, with first-year Anni Amalnathan taking third in Flight I.
This year’s class has been well received by their seniors, with the team chemistry between young and old creating a welcoming environment for these new players to excel in.
“All the upperclassmen, even though some of them were transfers, would all sit us down and tell us their experiences and their tips and tricks to help us get through the season,” Simpson-Morgan said. “They’re a great help.”
The class of new players is bringing a fresh breath to the program.
They may not have all won their matches, but having a full roster and heathy team is something the program needed this year to get back on its feet.
“I’m super excited about all the new players and kind of like the energy we brought to the tournament and all of new experiences for them.” Tran said.
The Jon Messick Invitational was just what the Rams needed to kick off the year right, having the chance to see the new players on the team play and find their footing was exciting. Seeing this new team playing and winning feels different compared to last year’s injury-filled season.
The rest of the Fall season will be spent away, aiming to be a time of growth and learning for this young team as the new players integrate into the team culture and find their places.
Reach Mason Ford at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter @mason_ford2891.