Each of the past five years, the ASU women’s tennis team has had at least two seniors on its roster. This year, the tennis team is one of just three ASU teams with no seniors, joining the men’s golf and wrestling teams.
The Sun Devils lost Jacqueline Cako, No. 25 player in the nation according to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's final rankings from 2012-13, and their top doubles pairing, Cako and Nicole Smith.
This season ASU is struggling to make up the losses on the court, but there is no loss of leadership.
Coach Sheila McInerney appreciates having seniors on her teams but doesn’t believe she needs any for a leader to emerge.
“I’ve always been a big believer in that you don’t have to be a senior or upperclassman to be a leader,” McInerney said. “I think it’s sort of a group thing. … It’s more of leadership by committee.”
The oldest player on the team, 20-year-old junior Joanna Smith, was immediately paired with then-senior Michelle Brycki when she was a freshman and said she is thankful for that.
“When I came in as a freshman, I played with (Brycki),” Smith said. “She really helped me out with showing me the ropes of doubles. … I loved having that older person there to kind of help me out.”
Freshman Kassidy Jump doesn’t have a senior to whom she can look up, but said she and Smith have already developed a close relationship.
“I think it doesn’t really matter that there aren’t any seniors,” Jump said. “I’m really close with Jo(anna Smith). … I feel like I can come to her with anything.”
Smith said she noticed Jump was looking for someone to help her become acclimated with the team and program, so she jumped on the opportunity.
“Kassidy coming in as a freshman was kind of looking up for somebody to help show her the ropes, which I love doing,” Smith said. “I think it’s great to kind of take the freshmen under Leighann (Sahagun)’s and my wing.”
Sahagun is the only other junior on the team and has made her presence known, whether with her enthusiasm in practice or her willingness to teach the younger players.
McInerney said that’s a quality she tries to instill in all her players.
“I think you try to teach (leadership),” McInerney said. “I think the sign of a good coach or teacher is you want kids to blossom … and be able to take ownership of whatever they do, and I think the girls are starting to do that."
Jump and Smith agree that having a coach like McInerney, with whom they are close, helps them overcome not having any seniors.
“(McInerney) is so easy to come and talk to,” Jump said. “I feel like you can talk to her about anything.”
Smith and Sahagun aren’t the only ones stepping up, McInerney said.
Sophomores Ebony Panoho, Desirae Krawczyk and Stephanie Vlad have all made their impacts felt.
“I think no question (Smith and Sahagun) are stepping up, but I also think Ebony, Desirae and Stephanie are doing a really good job,” McInerney said. “It’s been a good group effort.”
McInerney knows the struggles of having a young team as she experienced them in the Michigan Invitational, when her young team didn’t play well in doubles.
Having a month of practice before the Thunderbird Invitational will help though, Jump said.
“I think this month off will be really good and we’ll come out even stronger,” Jump said. “We have a lot to work on with our doubles, including me. … We’ll be even better with all the practice, and we’ll feel a little more confident.”
McInerney has already seen the growth she loves to see from young teams, and she expects to see even more in the coming month.
“We have a pretty young team, but they’re all young together,” McInerney said. “In a lot of ways, I think that’s a good thing.”
Reach the reporter at ewebeck@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @EvanWebeck
