Saturday, February 17
Bloomington, Ind.
10:00 AM
Colorado
at
Indiana
Colorado Looks to Continue in the Right Direction
February 16, 2024 | Tennis
BOULDER – Nearly one year apart, same record, same opponent looking for a different outcome, the Colorado Buffaloes tennis team will look to avenge its loss to Indiana at this point last year to start a three-match weekend in Indiana this weekend.
Last season started as one of the best in recent memory at Colorado, with a 6-1 start, the best since 2017, and a match against Indiana about to begin. Fast forward almost a year to the day, and Colorado is sitting again at 6-1 with one of the best starts in recent memory, and a match against Indiana, but this time on the road.
Despite the potential for looking back at what was, the team and head coach Anthony Pham are looking forward to the new challenge.
"We feel good about our group this year," Pham said on the team. "They are a good group. They play hard, they compete hard, but more importantly, they play hard for each other. I think we are getting better, that is the goal. Indiana the trip itself is going to be a challenge and I think the group is ready and up for that challenge."
Much of the roster from a year ago remains the same, but there are still new players that have joined the team, as well as different players taking different roles than they had at this point last year. From Aya El Sayed taking over the No. 1 singles position, freshman Ema Bubalo and Pia Rebec joining the lineup, and the recent addition of transfer Alexandra Abyasova have changed the look of the team this season.
While there is a different look at certain spots in the lineup, others have stayed the same with part of that being Mila Stanojevic and Elys Ventura. Both of whom have remained in the same position in the lineup as they were last year, a duo at No. 2 doubles and staying steady with Ventura at No. 2 singles and Stanojevic at No. 3 singles. With their doubles win on Sunday over Missouri, the pair moved into the top-10 doubles pair overall wins in Colorado history in less than two seasons together.
When the match turns to singles, both of them continued to take a step forward in production. Stanojevic has gotten off to a 6-0 start this season, losing only four games total this past weekend against Air Force and Missouri. For Ventura, after losing both matches at the ITA Kickoff, she has rattled off four straight wins including a third-set win over her former school in Missouri last weekend.
Just as Stanojevic and Ventura have grown and matured from this time last season, the rest of the team has as well.
"I think our team has gotten better," Pham said on the team's improvement. "It's a different group this year than it was last year, but it's also a different team than we were in the fall, or where we were in January the team has grown. There's just a sense of maturity with the group, they understand that every time we go our there, it's an opportunity, and those opportunities are finite. I think they've done a good job of getting locked in and trying to take advantage of each and every one of those opportunities."
The challenge of this weekend begins on Saturday with a doubleheader starting with Indiana at 10 a.m. followed by Ball State at 2:00 p.m. This will be the first time this season with two matches on the same day. Last season the Buffs had their double header take place in Washington against Gonzaga and Eastern Washington; Colorado left the weekend with two wins.
"It's two matches against two good teams on the road," Pham said on the doubleheader. "I think this team has shown up to this point that every challenge that we as a coaching staff have thrown their way, they've stepped up and taken the challenge head-on. It'll be different this weekend, but we are confident in the group that they've done a good job of mentally and physically preparing themselves."
After the two matches on Saturday, the Buffs will wrap up the weekend against IUPUI on Sunday with the match beginning at 2:00 p.m. Follow along on our team's Instagram and X accounts @cubuffstennis.
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Last season started as one of the best in recent memory at Colorado, with a 6-1 start, the best since 2017, and a match against Indiana about to begin. Fast forward almost a year to the day, and Colorado is sitting again at 6-1 with one of the best starts in recent memory, and a match against Indiana, but this time on the road.
Despite the potential for looking back at what was, the team and head coach Anthony Pham are looking forward to the new challenge.
"We feel good about our group this year," Pham said on the team. "They are a good group. They play hard, they compete hard, but more importantly, they play hard for each other. I think we are getting better, that is the goal. Indiana the trip itself is going to be a challenge and I think the group is ready and up for that challenge."
Much of the roster from a year ago remains the same, but there are still new players that have joined the team, as well as different players taking different roles than they had at this point last year. From Aya El Sayed taking over the No. 1 singles position, freshman Ema Bubalo and Pia Rebec joining the lineup, and the recent addition of transfer Alexandra Abyasova have changed the look of the team this season.
While there is a different look at certain spots in the lineup, others have stayed the same with part of that being Mila Stanojevic and Elys Ventura. Both of whom have remained in the same position in the lineup as they were last year, a duo at No. 2 doubles and staying steady with Ventura at No. 2 singles and Stanojevic at No. 3 singles. With their doubles win on Sunday over Missouri, the pair moved into the top-10 doubles pair overall wins in Colorado history in less than two seasons together.
When the match turns to singles, both of them continued to take a step forward in production. Stanojevic has gotten off to a 6-0 start this season, losing only four games total this past weekend against Air Force and Missouri. For Ventura, after losing both matches at the ITA Kickoff, she has rattled off four straight wins including a third-set win over her former school in Missouri last weekend.
Just as Stanojevic and Ventura have grown and matured from this time last season, the rest of the team has as well.
"I think our team has gotten better," Pham said on the team's improvement. "It's a different group this year than it was last year, but it's also a different team than we were in the fall, or where we were in January the team has grown. There's just a sense of maturity with the group, they understand that every time we go our there, it's an opportunity, and those opportunities are finite. I think they've done a good job of getting locked in and trying to take advantage of each and every one of those opportunities."
The challenge of this weekend begins on Saturday with a doubleheader starting with Indiana at 10 a.m. followed by Ball State at 2:00 p.m. This will be the first time this season with two matches on the same day. Last season the Buffs had their double header take place in Washington against Gonzaga and Eastern Washington; Colorado left the weekend with two wins.
"It's two matches against two good teams on the road," Pham said on the doubleheader. "I think this team has shown up to this point that every challenge that we as a coaching staff have thrown their way, they've stepped up and taken the challenge head-on. It'll be different this weekend, but we are confident in the group that they've done a good job of mentally and physically preparing themselves."
After the two matches on Saturday, the Buffs will wrap up the weekend against IUPUI on Sunday with the match beginning at 2:00 p.m. Follow along on our team's Instagram and X accounts @cubuffstennis.
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