University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Women's Tennis Looks Back on Historic Start
3/30/2020 12:22:00 PM | Women's Tennis
The abrupt ending has only added more fuel to the fire for a team that returns its entire starting lineup next season. All eight Golden Eagles recorded a win, while seven finished with a winning mark in singles play. Southern Miss' 11-1 start was highlighted by Ebru Zeynep Yazgan's 10-0 start that included wins on court two, three, four, and five. Junior Katia de la Garza jumped to an impressive 9-1 start that saw the Nuevo Leon, Mexico native split time between courts one and two.
With an injury rattled lineup, veterans Monique Burton and Tanit Lopez added a spark at the bottom of the lineup that was much needed. The two combined to finish 12-1 in singles play and 12-2 in doubles play. The Golden Eagles got another boost from its freshmen class of Sarah Medik, Warisara Lee, and Jeanne Gearity. Medik ended her freshman campaign with a 7-1 record, while Lee went 5-3. Gearity's 3-0 record solidified her as one of two Golden Eagles to finish without a loss.
What was most impressive about the Golden Eagles' record-setting start was their 27-3 record in doubles play. It took 10 matches for them to drop their first doubles point, which turned out to be the only time the Golden Eagles dropped the doubles point all season. De la Garza and Lee paced Southern Miss' doubles teams with a 9-1 record on court two. Medik and Burton took over as the top pairing and finished 5-1.
Although the remainder of the season was canceled due to the Coronavirus pandemic, Southern Miss' 2020 start will go down as the best in program history. And it's evident that next season will have a similar tale. Take a look at what a few of the Golden Eagles had to say about this season and where they see the program in 2021.
Katia de la Garza
Junior | Nuevo Leon, Mexico
"I want to start by saying that this season has been a wild one, and definitely one to remember. I am very proud of my team. I want to thank Coach Schram, Coach Engineer, Connor Chancellor (Strenght and Conditioning GA), Erin Burleson (Athletic Training GA), and Brooke Veltkamp (Strength and Conditioning Coach) because they have always been there for us, no matter what. I am sure that if we had continued playing this season, we would have gone even further, but we cannot change the past. Unfortunately, the Coronavirus shortened the season and we cannot do anything about it, but I am confident that we are all going to keep our heads up and we are going to continue fighting each day to stay strong for next season. Each one of my teammates did their very best this semester, and we all have the merit of this record. It is a time to be happy, but also to try harder for next year to defend and keep breaking records. #SMTTT"
Arina Amaning
Junior | Dijon, France
"I think this season was not the easiest because we had to handle a lot of adversity. But the team stepped up and competed hard every match. That's a reason why we were able to win so many matches this season. Everyone on the team had the same goal and we pushed each other every practice and every match. We gave everything that we had. I think the way we were able to manage our physical health all season was the key to our success. Next season we are going to be better because everyone on the team will be back and ready to compete."
Ebru Zeynep Yazgan
Sophomore | Izmir, Turkey
"From the beginning of the semester, we set many goals and worked very hard. Our team dynamic on and off the court was amazing -- we pushed each other to get better. Our dedication helped us reach the best start in program history. After every win, we looked for another. We were so excited and hopeful about this year's conference tournament because we knew that we could do better than last year's. I'm thankful for the Southern Miss athletic department and our coaches, they were there whenever we needed them and helped us to achieve the goals we set for this semester. I know in the future we will get back out there and do our best again. We are upset about how this year ended, but this is only pushing us to want more."
Players Mentioned
