Lone senior Martina Sedivec of CU women’s tennis team reflects on her past four years at CU
Martina Sedivec has seen the women’s tennis team move from a No. 73 ranking in the 2004-2005 season to their season-high No. 20 ranking this year. As the only senior on the much-improved team, Sedivec has watched the team’s success increase over her past four years.
“It’s a great feeling. It really just showed that we have been working so hard this year, being consistent in everything that we do,” Sedivec said of their No. 20 ranking at the end of last month. “Each year we have so much talent, but this year we really stuck together.”
Because of how different the group of women is each year, Sedivec finds it hard to compare the teams. She said many of the changes she felt in the team were as much due to her own growth as to the team’s. In her own game, though, she could easily pick out her areas of improvement.
“I think that as a tennis player I have just become more of a patient player on the court. You kind of start to see the bigger picture as you go along. Each match is important, but the season is so long. You have to put everything you have into each match and just be ready for each next one to come,” Sedivec said. “Just knowing my strengths and weaknesses and knowing how to come onto the court and play my best tennis has been something that I have really learned throughout my four years.”
It is this kind of experience that has helped Sedivec to give guidance and support to the younger members of the team.
Even with her senior status, however, Sedivec’s role as a player was not set in stone. After playing singles throughout her tenure at CU, she has left that role behind this season to play strictly doubles.
“This year we have such a deep line up – eight or nine girls. I just try to work my hardest and let my coach make those decisions (concerning who will play singles and doubles),” Sedivec said. “I have been working and focusing primarily on (playing doubles).”
This season, Sedivec has been primarily playing with her current doubles partner freshman Melisa Esposito, who also plays in singles. The difference in experience, however, has not proven to be a problem. The pair is currently at 11-2 in this season.
“We have had a lot of success this season. We communicate really well on the court,” Sedivec said. “It’s a matter of chemistry more than anything else. You have to see how you do together out on the court. It just worked right off the bat.”
With the team’s overall success, they are looking at their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2003. If they can play at the level of the team that upset No. 14 Baylor University and No. 12 College of William and Mary earlier this season, Sedivec expects success in the tournament.
“I’m very optimistic. I think that we can do really well. We have proved to ourselves that we can be up there with the top-15 teams,” Sedivec said. “It’s a matter of believing in ourselves and that we can compete with the best teams in the country.”
After the season, Sedivec will graduate with a degree in international affairs. Although she is sad to end her tennis career – she says she will probably just play for fun after graduation – she is just glad that she has been able to be part of such a successful team this year.
“I think that I’m going to be sad to go and leave the team. I have really, really enjoyed my experience but I am also happy that I got to have a really good season before I left,” Sedivec said. “I expect that it will be bittersweet.”
Sedivec and the team will play their last two home games of the season against University of Oklahoma Saturday at 11 a.m. and University of Nebraska Sunday at 11 a.m. before traveling to the Big 12 Championships April 26 in Montana.
Contact Campus Press Staff writer Margot Schneider at margot.schneider@thecampuspress.com.
