The ASU women’s tennis team will take to the road for the first time in 2012 to play Boise State and Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif.
After beating NAU 7–0 last weekend, the No. 20 Sun Devils returned to practice with higher competition in mind.
“The kids know there’s a difference between NAU and Pepperdine or Boise,” coach Sheila McInerney said. “So we’ve been practicing hard this week.”
Many players said road trips are one of their favorite parts of the season. They present a chance to spend time with teammates and to compete with some of the best college athletes in the world.
“The road trip will be pretty fun,” McInerney said. “The girls are ready for their first away match and looking forward to it.”
McInerney expects to her team to succeed and is glad there are no major injuries to worry about.
“Everyone’s healthy,” McInerney said. “There might be a few bumps and bruises, but that just comes with the middle of the season.”
Fatigue or complacency can also become a problem for some teams in the middle of the season. For the Sun Devils, that’s not an option.
“Even when we win big against a team, tennis is an individual sport,” McInerney said. “Everyone is accountable for their own matches. Even if the team wins, you may not win.”
This mentality keeps the team motivated and challenged to perfect its sport.
“We don’t have any worries going into this weekend,” McInerney said. “You know the girls would rather play than practice, so we’re excited about the games.”
This weekend, the Sun Devils will play Boise State on Saturday and Pepperdine on Sunday.
“We don’t know much about Boise,” McInerney said. “So on Friday, we’ll try to watch them play to get a feel for them.”
Play starts Saturday at 12:00 p.m. Pacific time.
Reach the reporter at dkmcinty@asu.edu
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