After three days of matches to open the season, the Missouri women’s tennis team returned home victorious from the Mizzou Invitational in Kansas City. The Tigers were led by the standout performances from the team’s veterans.
Over the course of the weekend, Mizzou won 29 out of a total of 39 matches against the likes of Penn State, Louisville and Nebraska. The team hit the ground running by finishing the first day of matches with 10 wins under its belt.
“We definitely got momentum and we worked together which really helped us,” senior Kelli Hine said. “I think we started strong and finished strong, and it was all the way a good performance for Mizzou Tennis.”
Hine, who was recently ranked 89th in the preseason Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings, is a major component of the team’s success at the No. 1 position. She won all three of her singles matches as well as securing the individual title for No. 1 singles.
Hine received help from juniors Beatriz Machado Santos and Brittany Lashway, who also earned individual titles in No. 2 and No. 6 singles, respectively.
“I think we did really well,” Hine said. “We showed ourselves as true competitors, and even though these weren’t (Southeastern Conference) teams, it was still really good to get out there and show how much we have improved since last year.”
Santos and Lashway were tested during their quest for their individual titles. Santos held on to defeat Daria Sapagova of Penn State 6-2, 3-6, 6-0 while Lashway persevered to topple Abbie Pahz of Louisville 6-0, 4-6, 6-4. The Tigers valiantly fought back after dropping the second set of each match and displayed the mental strength they have built up.
“We’ve been doing really hard workouts, and I definitely reminded myself of how we have been going through tough workouts and going on 6:30 a.m. runs,” Santos said. “My mindset was that I’ve been there before and I can do this.”
Along with the Tigers’ strong showing in singles, the team found success in doubles. Santos, paired with sophomore Brianna Lashway, claimed the No. 1 doubles title while Brittany Lashway teamed up with sophomore Clare Raley to claim the No. 3 doubles title.
The Tigers attributed their positive results in doubles to assistant coach Colt Gaston, who joined the program this season. Gaston, a former Association of Tennis Professional and ITA All-American at Louisiana State, brings a large amount of experience to the table and has already made an impact on the team’s doubles match play.
“We all know each other very well and we know what our best play is,” Santos said. “We know what play we want to run in a specific situation. I think that (Gaston) has brought in a huge amount of doubles knowledge and so we’ve really worked hard. It’s coming along really well, and we’re excited to keep growing.”
Winning the Mizzou Invite is a positive sign for the team as it looks to rebound from finishing at the bottom of the SEC last season. Last year’s growing pains have toughened up the team and the lessons learned have given players confidence to take on any team they face, especially ones from other conferences.
“It was just good to play against those kinds of teams, and after playing in the SEC last year, we feel like we can go up against any team and not be surprised because we go up against the best teams in the country day in and day out,” Santos said.
With the Mizzou Invite behind them, the Tigers have a month to prepare for their next team event, the ITA Central Regionals in Stillwater, Oklahoma, from Oct. 16 to 19. The team will continue its rigorous regimen in hopes of carrying some of the momentum it created with them to Oklahoma.
“We’ve been working really hard and our legs are definitely sore but that’s OK because it’s going to pay off later and we know that,” Santos said. “It’s been great and we just can’t wait to get started with Regionals.”
