Freshman Desirae Krawczyk leans into to a swing at a ASU tennis practice. The team looks to sweep NAU and UC Davis this weekend after not competing in over a month. (Photo by Kyle Newman)Court rust and nerves can be just as fierce of an opponent as the player on the other side of the net.
The ASU tennis team will have to fight the butterflies and shake off the cobwebs when it faces NAU and UC Davis on Saturday and Sunday in its season debut at the Whiteman Tennis Center.
Getting comfortable will be a key point in ASU’s first match after the time off.
“This first (match), more than anything is just sort of to get the nerves out of the system, get the kinks out,” coach Sheila McInerney said. “The girls haven’t competed for two months. Our last fall tournament ended, I think, Nov. 11. You’re talking almost nine weeks."
The jitters may particularly affect the team’s youngest players the most.
“The first couple matches are always a little bit shaky. The freshmen (have) more nerves than anything, ” senior Nicole Smith said.
ASU played both teams last year, blanking NAU 7-0 and edging out UC Davis 4-3.
The Lumberjacks are especially familiar with ASU. All six of the players that faced the Sun Devils last year are returning.
Despite the familiarity, the Sun Devils look to establish their game style in the first match instead of utilizing a specific game plan.
“We’ll have notes on their team, but with us, it’s us going out and establishing our own games," McInerney said. "We’re looking to dictate play. That’s probably what’s the most important thing."
Among one of the players returning for NAU is Megan Heneghan, who was a first-team All-Big West player last year.
The UC Davis Aggies have played the Sun Devils every year since 2005.
ASU will also be missing a senior from its lineup, adding to the pressure for the underclassmen to perform. Smith will not play in singles this year due to ACL injuries from the past two seasons.
“I’ll only be playing doubles which is unfortunate," Smith said. "Doubles is not as demanding as singles.”
The news came as a blow to Smith, who felt strong in the offseason.
“It took me a while mentally to accept it," Smith said. "It was very discouraging, because I had worked so hard in the fall, and things were feeling so well. I guess doubles is better than nothing.”
Although the Sun Devils won’t have Smith in their singles lineup, they still feature All-American senior Jacqueline Cako. Cako returns to the team after competing in professional tournaments in the offseason.
She graduates after this semester and with the lighter schedule, she can focus more on tennis.
“I’m feeling really good, I’m excited for this last season, and I’m going to make it a good season hopefully,” Cako said. “I’ve pretty much already graduated, so I don’t have much class, so I’m just going to really be focusing on tennis.”
Both matches start at noon on Saturday and Sunday.
Reach the reporter at ejsmith7@asu.edu
