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University of Massachusets Athletics
Behind The Masses • UMass Tennis Blog • Entry #7
October 11, 2019 | Tennis
Janja Kovacevic collaborates on a guest entry covering the All-American Championships
Over the weekend, a first for UMass Tennis occurred; Janja Kovacevic competed at the ITA All-American Championships in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Such a momentous event as this cannot simply be brushed over so I felt that an update on her time there must be added to Behind The Masses.
However, I was not there to witness anything, so how am I supposed to accurately portray the weekend? This blog was created to give all of you an insight into our experiences as part of this team, so I believe that it is only fair we have the woman-of-the-hour regale you with tales of her memorable experience. I am so sorry to all of you who clicked on this article, excited to read more of my elegant, articulate and sometimes humorous work, but I'll be back later in the week, so don't you worry. Now, let me hand the reins over to Janja so you can all learn a little more about this outstanding achievement for the programme. - Jodie Annie Lawrence-Taylor, sophomore, UMass tennis
As Jodie did in her first article, I'd like to start with a disclaimer: English isn't my first language and there's a reason that I'm a computer science and mathematics major. Writing is far outside of my comfort zone, but I'm going to try to make this as interesting as possible. Wish me luck…
We flew out of Hartford on Thursday afternoon. After a quick practice and being wished luck by my teammates, we headed off to the airport. The ride passed by quickly thanks to our lovely coach, Juancarlos Nunez, keeping me entertained with gossip and fruit snacks. However, I was made incredibly uncomfortable when he started talking about how happy and proud he was for me to have this opportunity. Unlike him, I struggled to feel pride in this achievement. I think that having a player in this event for the first time is a great step forward for the team and really puts us on the map, so I was extremely excited for the program, but found it difficult to see it as an accomplishment for myself. Despite this, I couldn't wait to see Oklahoma for the first time.
Our plane journey to Atlanta came next and I was pleasantly surprised to see that the plane we were on had the in-flight entertainment system, just like all transatlantic flights. Coach and I got very excited over the fact that at least one of the two flights was going to pass by quickly, until he realized that he had forgotten his earphones. So me, being the wonderful student that I am, gave him mine and tried to watch a movie with no sound and only subtitles that my reading skills weren't good enough to keep up with. The only thing quick about this flight ended up being the subtitles…
After landing, we had to navigate through the Atlanta airport and kept bumping into other tennis players; this seemed to be a popular connection for everyone heading to Tulsa for All-Americans. Players from Iowa, Princeton, Indiana, Alabama and Yale were all about to board our plane to Oklahoma. I ended up seated between Coach JC and Yale's Caroline Dunleavy who made me feel very unproductive by working on their respective assignments whilst I texted (I think they're just overachievers). I sat in between them, feeling very useless until Coach's laptop died and he stopped working to keep me company.
This flight went by faster than the first, but it was still nearly 11 p.m. by the time we made it to our hotel. Many groups were checking in at around this time and I found myself feeling lonely: seeing players from the same school together made me wish I had my teammates around me. It simply felt odd being the only player from UMass at the tournament. Walking into my room and having no one to share it with felt strange. I really hope that when UMass returns to this event next year, multiple players are selected to play as it's such a better atmosphere when we are together.
I was really glad that we got to Tulsa a day early so I could recover from traveling and get some practice in. I got a solid nine hours of sleep the first night, three hours above my average, so it would be fair to say that I was ready to get the day going. My day started with a great buffet-style breakfast in the hotel and was followed by our first practice of the day at the Case Tennis Center in Tulsa.
On the drive over, I couldn't help but notice how flat everything is in Oklahoma. I'm so accustomed to our Pioneer Valley, where you're always surrounded by hills and mountains, that looking around and seeing nothing but plains was different. This state was definitely making me love Massachusetts all the more.
When Coach JC and I started hitting, we were on-court between players from Ole Miss and Texas A&M; it was a pretty strange experience playing next to teams from so far South. Trying to make all of the southern teams jealous, Coach JC and I had a photoshoot with the UMass flag, and even created our own rendition of Plant the Flag in the middle of the court (check out the UMass Tennis instagram if you want to see this masterpiece). We didn't seem to make the southerners jealous, but we did get the attention of the players from Columbia. They clearly regretted not bringing a flag and wished they were as cool as us.
As I planned to train again later with my plane neighbor, Caroline, we went to take a look at the University of Tulsa tennis courts rather than heading back to the hotel. This is the sight of the men's tournament and where the women's tournament would be played from the quarterfinals onwards. The blue courts of the Michael D. Case Tennis Center brought back some memories for Coach from his time as a student-athlete: his team, Arkansas Little Rock, spent a lot of time playing at this venue. He made sure to share this moment with his former teammates, texting them so they could chat about old times. It got me hoping that I will be able to do the same in 10-15 years.
That afternoon, we were back at the courts so I could play some practice points. I've never played someone from another team in a practice match but it was oddly relaxing. We enjoyed playing and getting ready for the next day together whilst our coaches chatted. By the time we finished, the draw was out and Coach informed me I am to face a girl from the University of Arkansas, but I tried not to focus on it, so I could stay as calm as possible and avoid adding pressure to myself. A great distraction were Denise and her coach Anthony from the University of Wisconsin. Coach JC and Anthony have been friends for a while and couldn't wait to catch up over some great Italian food. Denise and I were left to chat amongst ourselves and it was refreshing to hear about another girl's experience at college. The dinner went by too fast for my liking and, before I knew it, I was curled up in bed, ready to wake up at 5:30 a.m. for my 8 a.m. match the next morning.
My day couldn't have started better: I was woken up by a phone call from Coach at 6:05 a.m., asking where I was. I shot out of bed, threw on the first match clothes I could find, grabbed my tennis bag and by 6:11 a.m., I was sitting across from Coach at breakfast. A slightly eventful start to my day. Twenty minutes later, we headed to the courts and I remember walking out of the hotel, then having to stop for a second. I knew I wasn't fully awake yet, so I did I double-take at the sky. It was dark. The sun hadn't come out yet. That was a first for me: I have played a couple of matches under the lights, but never because the sun hasn't risen before.
Thanks to our friendly dinner the night before, I had found myself another practice partner in Denise and we were among the first players to step on the court for a warm-up. It was such an intense warm-up it crossed my mind I might get too tired for the match but, by the time the warm up ended, I started wishing it had gone on longer. It was only 20 minutes until my match started and the nerves and pressure were building. I knew I had dealt with these emotions before so I could again, but I still struggled to control them.
When I stepped out onto the court, I knew straight away that it would not be like a normal college match. If you have ever attended a dual match, you know how loud and rowdy the atmosphere is; this tournament definitely lacked that. The quietness on the court didn't help my nerves and I found them hard to deal with throughout the whole match. It wasn't my best day on the court; I really believe that the match was mine for the taking if I had managed to beat my self doubt. In the end, the other girl dealt with the situation better than me and I lost. To say that I was disappointed would be an understatement: I had a chance to prove myself and my team at this event, but I blew it. I felt as if I had let everyone down.
The rest of the day wasn't exactly fun for me, even though Coach JC and my teammates tried to cheer me up by telling me how they were still proud of me and I had achieved a lot. Trying to make me feel better, Coach dipped into the trip fund to buy us both a cookie, which ended up doing more damage than good. As he stood up from the table, I noticed a huge chocolate stain on his nice, white shirt. Washing it only made the mark worse, so he decided to just head back to the hotel and change. On the way, he missed a turn, which really tipped him over the edge, and he said, "This is all your fault! If you hadn't lost today we wouldn't have gotten comfort cookies!" I looked at him, sad and shocked, as he asked "too soon?" before breaking out into laughter. Thanks Coach…
The rest of the weekend was spent watching tennis as my consolation match was rained out. It was a great experience to watch players from around the U.S., especially from the top schools. Nobody stood out to me as such a great player that people from UMass wouldn't stand a chance against them. It helped me to see how far our school has come and how good we are; we are good enough to compete with the most famous teams in the country.
Also, I found it weird to see people playing for themselves, not the team. This tournament felt individualized but, for me, college tennis is about doing well with your team and reaching new heights together, not about your own success. However, I do really look forward to my teammates getting the chance to play in Tulsa next year, as it is great for the program and I hope that they will be able to go further than me. Soon, this tournament will become a regular part of our schedule, as well as many other events, and I can't wait to see that! Even though I still don't see my selection as a great personal achievement, I am glad that I had the chance to compete as it was such a learning experience for myself and Coach. I wish I could have performed better in my match but I guess this just makes it easier for the next person to get in!
- Janja Kovacevic, senior, UMass tennis
