Behind The Masses • UMass Tennis Blog • Ashley Avery Q&A

I'd like to welcome you, dear reader, to the first of many weekly interviews where I will be asking some deep, and probably some stupid, questions to all those involved in the UMass tennis programme. As stated in the first "Behind the Masses" entry, our goal this year is to really get to know all of our supporters, whilst helping you learn a little more about us. So to kick off this new, exciting and intriguing series, we will be discovering a little more about one of our seniors, the oldest on the team now in fact!

Starting her UMass career as a walk-on, she quickly impressed with a wide selection of aggressive shots and stunning netplay, earning herself a well-deserved scholarship upon her defeat of UConn's Shea Flannagan. From there, she never looked back, firmly cementing herself as a crucial member of the team, especially in the doubles lineup. Her most successful season came in the Spring of her junior year, when she and her partner, Ruth Crawford, achieved an impressive 13-6 record in dual matches; with their win often being the crucial one to secure the doubles point.

In training, you will be hard pushed to find someone as caring and passionate as she is, giving everything that she has each practice, and helping to push her teammates further. Off the court, she is an incredibly fun and easy-going girl, who really makes everyone feel relaxed and as if they can be themselves. So, I'm going to stop rambling now and let Ashley Avery reveal a little more about herself.

So, I have to ask the predictable question first: how does it feel to be the oldest member of the team?
Ashley Avery: It's crazy when I remember I'm the oldest one on the team (Tami Comins rivals me, but I beat her by a few hours). Personally, I'm still a freshman at heart in certain ways. But on the flip side, as the oldest, I feel a responsibility to look out for the younger ones and guide them to the best of my ability, just like my seniors did when I was a freshman.

Now that you're the senior on the team and it's your final year here at UMass, do you have any particular goals for this year?
AA: My goal senior year is to just have fun. I know it sounds cliche, but I feel like I haven't let myself play to my full potential because I've put so much added pressure on myself instead of just being free. Knowing that each tournament coming up will be my last makes me sad, but also makes me appreciate each moment that much more. I want to graduate having no regrets.

I think that's an admirable goal to have as you definitely want to look back on your college years fondly. From your time here so far, do any particular memories stand out?
AA: It's hard to pick just one all time favorite memory at UMass. I always love looking back on the meals we get as a team on the road. We may be exhausted, but we're all laughing and telling funny stories, whilst proceeding to stuff our faces because we're also starving.

A more specific memory, unrelated to food, is when we helped build a house for the nonprofit organization Habitat for Humanities. That was quite the memorable experience because I had never laid down roofing before. It was challenging yet fun to do with my teammates, and especially memorable because it was for a great cause.

One of my favourite memories is the first time your family came to support us in 2018; they are all such amazing people to have cheering you on, but my favourite fan has to be your little dog, Jasper. Can you tell us a little more about him?
AA: Jasper is a mix between a Cavalier King Charles and a Bichon. He is the cutest, most loving dog on the face of the earth and, even though he's eight years old now, he still acts and looks like a puppy. He's therapeutic no matter what mood I come home in.

So, we all know that home is a very important place to you, but have there been any places you've traveled to that stand out?
AA: I loved my trip to Bermuda this summer. The weather there was so sunny and beautiful, and the beaches were breathtaking: the sand is pink and the water is crystal clear. I would definitely recommend the trip. I also love traveling to Athens, Georgia. The downtown is packed with numerous restaurants to choose from, as well as little shops and boutiques here and there. It's a lively and happening town

One of the things you are famous for on our team is your appetite, so I'm curious: what's the best meal you've had at home and the best meal you've had whilst traveling?
AA: At home, nothing beats my mom's homemade spaghetti and meat sauce. There's never a time it doesn't taste delicious. I wrote down the recipe step by step in an attempt to recreate her masterpiece and hopefully pass it on to future generations. On the road, my go to meal is a little less special: one of my favourite things to get is a burrito from Chipotle. It always seems to hit the spot, yet leaves me painfully full. During the last A10 tournament, I went to Chipotle 4 days in a row and somehow didn't get totally sick.

That's pretty impressive! Have you ever gotten sick whilst playing because of the meal you've eaten though?
AA: Oh, yeah. The Italian sandwich from Roots gets me every time, but I still eat it anyway. When I only have 30 minutes between my class ending and practice starting, my hunger wins out and an Italian sandwich sounds like a good idea. I tell myself I'm only going to eat half, but then somehow end up gobbling down the whole thing and regretting it heavily at the start of the warm-up.

I guess I can't blame you for being unable to resist the Italian Sandwich from Roots; it's definitely one of the best things they have to offer. Right, so I only have a couple more questions and they are tennis related because, you know, we should probably end on that note. Your time at UMass has seen you become one of the best and most consistent doubles players on the team. When did you first start playing?
AA: I started playing singles competitively when I was about seven years old, but I didn't play my first doubles tournament until I was about 11 or 12. It was odd to have another person on the court with me, as tennis is such an individual sport. Yet, over time, I grew to love it more and more, eventually achieving a few doubles titles in my junior career.

You said you "grew to love" doubles, has it become something you love more than singles?
AA: Singles is such a mental battle. Not only are you trying to beat your opponent, but you're also battling your inner demons and bad decision-making or negative thoughts that may creep in. Once I am able to put all those inner demons aside and just let myself play, I like singles more in the sense that I have full control (essentially) of the outcome of the match. There is no one else to blame for losing, and no one else to thank for winning. However, I am a big fan of doubles because it's high energy and if you gel well with your partner (which you hopefully do) it's that much more enjoyable. The points are quicker and the intensity is higher. So unfortunately, the honest answer is it depends on the day and how I'm feeling as to which I prefer.

And that's it for the first interview of "Behind the Masses"! Thanks Ashley for putting up with my interrogation and giving such interesting answers. Also, thanks to all of you who read this and check back next week to learn a little more about the individuals who make up UMass tennis.

Scoreboard