USD women’s tennis competes in ITA

AMARA BROOKS / SPORTS EDITOR / THE USD VISTA

The USD women’s tennis team traveled to Seattle, Washington, to compete in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Indoor National Championships. During ITA Kickoff Weekend, the team earned the No. 17 spot after defeating both #25 Georgia Tech and #11UC Berkley (Cal). The victory against Cal marked the second straight day the Toreros won the doubles points with victories at No.1 (Elizabth Goldsmith and Kailey Evans) and No. 3 (Claudia De Las Heras and Jordyn McBride). The ITA Indoor National Championships occurred over the course of three days from Feb. 10-13. 

The indoor tournament is a big accomplishment for the women’s team. USD fifth-year Solymar Colling explained what the tournament means for the team’s upcoming season. 

“The indoor championships are a big deal, because it kicks off the season. It is held in the very beginning, and it’s a good predictor of how the rest of the season may play out,” Colling described. “Only 16 schools qualify to play indoors, so the significance and prestige are for sure there as only the best schools in the nation play.”

Getting to this point demands hard work and consistency, as the team has practiced and prepared for matches since Jan. 3. This is the first time that USD women’s tennis has ever made it to the indoor championship, and as they are not an indoor team, the team had to find indoor locations to help them prepare.  

USD sophomore Kailey Evans described how the team prepared and worked through the challenges of playing in a new, indoor environment. 

“It can be a little difficult to get used to playing indoors so quickly,” Evans stated. “For our team, it is important that we are intense and are getting the best quality of our practice, as well as recovery and properly fueling our bodies. This is how we are able to give our best on our match days. We are also a team that focuses on meditation and affirmations.”

The team proved that they’ve found their stride this year, as they swept the West Coast Conference (WCC) Weekly Awards for the third week in a row. Kailey Evans and Elizabeth Goldsmith earned the University Credit Union (UCU) WCC Doubles Team of the Week award for the third consecutive time, after defeating No. 23 Arizona State. The USD duo, ranked No. 53, had a big 6-2 win at No.1 doubles against the ninth-ranked Arizona duo. 

Evans shared how the connection built between her and Goldsmith  helped them in game-time decisions.

“Elizabeth and I just understand each other on the doubles court, we are consistently setting each other up, so we give ourselves the best chance to win,” Evans said.

The championships kicked off on Friday, Feb. 10, with the No. 17 USD women’s team playing against the No. 3 Texas A&M, in the first round of 16. The Toreros fell to Texas with a 4-0 loss, as the Aggies earned doubles points wins at No.1 and No. 2. The loss to Texas A&M resulted in the Toreros moving to the consolation bracket to face No. 13 Auburn. The team lost to Auburn with a 4-3 score, when it all came down to a third set tiebreaker at No. 2 singles. The team continued on and played #7 Virginia to end the tournament. 

 Evans shared that just making it to the tournament is a big win. 

“We have put ourselves on the map for others to know who we are and where we come from,” Evans stated. “We are grateful that we get this opportunity to play together and play with the best teams in the nation.”

The USD women’s tennis team is already starting their spring season with many accomplishments and good prospects for the future. After the tournament ended the Toreros welcomed the University of Hawaii at the Hogan Tennis Center. The team won the doubles point with a 6-0 win at No. 1 with Goldsmith and Evans and a 6-3 win at No. 3 with De Las Heras and McBride. The women’s team proved the tournament was a useful learning experience with their win against Hawaii. The women’s team will head to Waco, Texas on Feb. 25 where they will compete against the University of Washington and Baylor University.