Servin’ aces with the Toreros

Getting to know USD tennis student athletes

Jarek Morgan / Assistant Sports Editor / The USD Vista

There is a new stadium on campus and Torero athletes and students can’t wait to be in attendance. The Skip and Cindy Hogan Tennis Center is set to host some of the nation’s best talent this year and USD has no shortage of great athletes. 

The full renovation equipped the arena with a brand new sound system, electronic scoreboard, a new concrete structure, and plenty more. The anticipation of seeing Torero athletes playing at the new stadium is buzzing all over campus, and no one is more excited than the USD athletes

Players from both the men’s and women’s tennis teams shared some of the challenges they faced this past year and what they are most excited about this upcoming season.

[insert photo 2 (FullSizeRender) here]

USD redshirt sophomore, Elizabeth Goldsmith, who was given the nickname “EG” by her friends and teammates, sat down to share what she’s done to stay focused with training and academics.

“It’s tough, it’s really really tough. For me it was eliminating social media. Last semester I deleted TikTok, and then Instagram started looking like TikTok so I deleted that too,” Goldsmith said. “Now this semester I’m so much more focused on school, with determination and motivation to get a really solid education here at USD which I think is just incredible.” 

Being a good student requires immense sacrifice, and to be a good student athlete you must make those sacrifices and much more. Goldsmith currently ranks 21st in the nation’s doubles play with her partner, USD redshirt junior, Solymar Colling. In addition to her stellar doubles play, Goldsmith is also ranked no. 117 in singles play. Rankings are based from the International Tennis Association (ITA). 

Goldsmith has her sights set on bringing a championship back to the trophy room this year. She  already has big moments in her career and plans to add to that list of achievements.

“For me, one of my proudest moments so far was clinching the match against USC and Washington St. in the same year,” Goldsmith said. “People talk about how crazy it must feel to have all that pressure on your shoulders, but until you’re in the moment you can’t quite explain it. I had a chance to help my team to a victory and I am very proud of myself for stepping up and getting it done.”

USD graduate student, Gui Osorio, is also waiting patiently to get back into action after suffering a severe injury that kept him on the sideline this past year, after an outstanding 2019 season that ended with Osorio winning the West Coast Conference Player of the Year award. 

In addition to his stellar performance on the court, Osorio is also a four-time  ITA Scholar-Athlete Award winner. To be named an ITA Scholar-Athlete, one must meet the following requirements: 1) have a GPA of at least 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale) for the current academic year and 2) be listed on the institutional eligibility form.

Osorio found a very good method of maintaining his academic career as well as athletics at the highest level.

“I am very lucky because I really like the academic part. I know that it is hard sometimes for other people but for me it helps me to be better at prioritizing,” Osorio said. “I go to class, I go to practice, and when I get home I take the time to recover my body. I stretch, and then I get right to doing my homework and anything else I need to do for school.”

Having the mentality to put school first is something all students struggle with, but when you don’t let the distractions get the best of you, the results are extremely worth the hard work and dedication.

The next individual play for the women’s team is Oct. 4 at the ITA Women’s All-American Championships in Charleston, SC. 

As for the men’s tennis team, their next individual play is Oct. 1 at the Hagedorn Hidden Duel in San Diego, CA.