NICOLE ALBERTSON
Staff Writer
The Pepperdine women’s tennis team pulled off an overall win at the ITA National Indoor Championships, finishing the tournament with a 2-1 record. While the team started with a disappointing loss against No.-16 Georgia Tech in the first round, the Waves fought back to win against Texas Christian and Wisconsin to boost their ITA record to 22-20 overall.
“Georgia Tech was very sharp,” Head Coach Gualberto Escudero said. “They took it hard and kept going.”
The difference between indoor and outdoor courts led to readjustments and injuries. The Waves were able to become more offensive on the court because of the lack of wind that left freshmen players Jill Braverman and Anete Bandere working on their aggressive and offensive tactics.
Along with other injuries, senior Caroline Raba and Dulgheru injured their wrists from the accelerated speed caused by indoor playing.
“The game is a lot faster and the ball comes a lot faster,” said No.-2 player Sylvia Kosakowski, who also injured her hamstring during the tournament.
Dulgheru has been battling tendonitis in her wrist for the past month, and Escudero attributes most wrist injuries to the evolution of tennis. With the new synthetic rackets available and new courts, balls are accelerating to much higher speeds.
“Wrists are hurting all over the nation,” Escudero said. “The game has become faster, so you have to react faster. The vibrations from the hits go into the wrist and the elbows and shoulders.”
Raba conquered her pain and “came out firing” according to Escudero. She was able to play off of her opponent and deliver her “special shot” —a back hand down the line — winning her the game 6-0, 6-2.
Freshman Tania Rice was the standout player though the tournament. She dominated the match winning 6-4, 6-2 in singles over Wisconsin.
“She has really improved a lot,” Kosakowski said. “She helped out a lot and dominated and No. 6. But she is also from Canada so she is used to indoors.”
The freshmen players have also proven themselves as they replaced the injured veterans. Along with injuries from Dulgheru, Rice and Kosakowski, senior Eva Dickes continued to be sick with the flu and unable to play. But the new “fresh meat” are providing good players to support the team.
“They all have different personalities and different strengths,” Dulgheru said. “They come up and are really pumped up with team spirit. It is nice to have that when people who have been playing for two or three years start to lose it.”
The ITA Indoor Championship placed the Waves against the top 20 teams nationwide. With the upcoming season, Pepperdine is looking forward to using the experience to their benefit and growth.
“It was a great experience for us to go there,” Dulgheru said. “It lets us know what level the other teams are playing at and who the other teams are playing.”
Along with continuing practice and conditioning, the team is working on being more aggressive toward the ball and versatile on the court. According to Escudero, they are also trying to be more consistent and patient during singles matches. But more important than skills on the court, the team is trying to stay healthy. With the stream of constant injuries and a nonstop season, Escudero’s main goal is to be strong at the end of the season.
The Waves will next be in action against Fresno State at the Ralphs-Straus Tennis Pavilion on Saturday at 11 a.m.
02-08-2007
