Underdog women netters to face BYU
Confidence seems to be a theme for the Utah State women’s tennis team.
Head Coach Chris Wright has confidence in his players. The players have confidence after a season opening victory. And they’ll need confidence when they play BYU in Provo on Friday at 1 p.m.
Coming off a pair of loses to the University of Kansas and Kansas State University, BYU (0-2) is currently ranked No. 57 in the country.
“They’re a good team and they’ve been a good team for a long time, so we’re excited to go down there and play them,” Wright said. “I have a ton of confidence in these girls.
“Four or five years ago, we go down there in that situation, I’m an optimist, I would hope for the best, but talent-wise I don’t think we could have hung with them. We do have the talent [now], it’s just a matter of going down there and managing the points properly.”
For the Aggies (1-0) this will only be their second match of the season, but the first one was a big one for them. Last Thursday at the Sports Academy the Aggies opened the season by blowing by Montana State University, 6-1.
Although it was only one match, it gave the Aggies valuable experience.
“I think it kind of got us ready to play more matches,” said team co-captain Shelly Ferguson. “It was perfect that we played a match before BYU, so we can see what we need to work on and what our strengths are, and get over the jitters a little bit.”
Wright said, “We saw a lot of good things in that match. I’m just going to try to push them in the areas we need to make a few adjustments.”
With the experience gained from the early victory, Ferguson said the Aggies now have plenty of confidence going into Provo.
She said BYU usually has a strong team and will probably be confident in its ability to defeat USU, possibly overlooking the Aggies.
“I definitely think we’ll give them a run for the money,” Ferguson said. “They’re a really tough team. The main thing is we just can’t be intimidated.
“They’re going to think that they’re going to win. We have to go out there and act like we are just as good a team as them and we just have to play really hard. We just have to match their level. We just have to go out there and play like we know we can play.”
Despite the in-state rivalry and reputation of BYU, Wright said the Aggies just need to focus on their own game and on whom they’re playing.
“I just don’t think we can get caught up with who you’re playing,” he said. “We just have to play the ball, work the point, and good things are going to happen. We’ve got a good opportunity to go down there. It’s going to be a tough match, but I believe in these girls. They have what it takes to go down there and play well and win.”
The combination of experience and mental preparation will also be a factor in reducing nerves before the match.
Having already played a match has done a lot to relieve pressure and reduce early season jitters, said freshman Lindsey Bennion.
“It takes a lot of pressure off of me, but it also shows me there is improvement I can do, too,” she said. “It’s prepared us a lot because we know what we can handle, and what we can do and what we have to do.”
The feeling that the team doesn’t have anything to lose, coupled with the early experience has relieved pressure for her as well, Ferguson said.
“I bet you there will be a lot less nerves just because we already have a match under our belt,” she said. “We’re not expected to win. We really have nothing to lose, and that’s why I’m really excited about this match. It will be a good chance for us to show them what we have.”
In the meantime, though, the Aggies have been working to prepare mentally in practice, and ensure they have a strong strategy.
“If we’re in there solid, and if we’re strong mentally and don’t have them get into our heads or anything, we can play solid tennis,” Bennion said.
Not knowing the Cougars’ players or lineup, Wright said the Aggies have been focusing on controlling their own game plan and strategy no matter what type of player they face.
And although the lineup for Utah State is expected to stay the same as against MSU, BYU may have a few changes.
Cougar players Lu Oswald and Rebecca Pike were both injured in Kansas and it is unknown whether they will play in Friday’s match.
–slbk5@cc.usu.edu