The No. 17-ranked Arizona menβs tennis team has already accomplished a lot this season. The Wildcats hosted β and beat β No. 3 Texas by a score of 4-3. They then traveled to Texas, where they handed Texas Tech its first loss of the season.
Six days later, senior and Pac-12 Player of the Week Jonas Ziverts defeated the NCAA's No. 1-ranked singles player, August Holgrem of San Diego, in three sets.
Ziverts "worked hard the last three years,β UA coach Clancy Shields said. βThat was cool for him individually and cool for our teamβ¦ Heβll remember that for the rest of his life.β
Having won six of their last seven matches, the Wildcats (8-2) will host NAU (6-1) on Saturday.
Arizona has won the last 15 matches against the Lumberjacks dating back to 2003. Despite its recent dominance, Shields says this NAU team should not be overlooked.
βWith the transfer portal and everyone getting a year back, all these mid-major teams picked up really good players and they're good enough to beat us and we know that,β Shields said. βThey've got a great coaching staff, good team so we're going to have our work cut out.β
What once was a team anchored by its senior class is now headlined by its youth. Four Wildcats ranked inside the ITA Collegiate Tennis Division I rankings this past week. Three of them are underclassmen.
Freshman blue-chip Colton Smith sits at No. 42, while sophomore Herman Hoeyeraal checks in at No. 56. Sophomore Gustaf Strom ranks No. 58, ahead of Ziverts at No. 73.
βIt's really unique to have this many good players on one team,β Shields said. βSix years ago, we're 160th in the country β¦ We've been building this for a while and, you know, it kind of just builds on itself.β
After losing former senior captain Alejandro Reguant to graduation in the offseason, Shields says this yearsβ squad is still searching for its new identity, something he hopes to find on Saturday against NAU.
βHe was the glue that brought everyone together,β Shields said. βWe got to find that identity and good teams that do something as a group have some common identity and we're still trying to find that kind of gritty team and the guts and determination we're talking about on the court. I think we're getting better and better.β
Cats making most of delayed start
A COVID-19 pause forced the UA women's tennis team to wait until Jan. 31 to compete in its first match. It wasnβt easy, but the Wildcats seem to have finally found their groove.
βThat really (stunk) for all of us because we were preparing so hard during the fall with hard fitness and then hard practices, six hour practices every day,β freshman Midori Castillo-Meza said. βUnfortunately, things happen that you can't control so we just had to bounce back and I think we're doing that really well.
The Wildcats returned home after a midweek road trip that included a 4-3 loss against Michigan State on Wednesday and a 4-3 win over Western Michigan on Thursday. The UA (4-1) will next play Feb. 18 at home against NAU.Β
This yearβs team features seven new players and the No. 17 recruiting class in the country. At the head of the class is Castillo-Meza, who first visited Tucson as a youth player and won a major tournament here at age 10.
βWhen I saw that the University of Arizona was in Tucson, I was like βthat's a sign. Maybe I should go there.ββ Castillo-Meza said.
Castillo-Meza is 3-1 in singles matches and 2-2 in doubles this season. She is one of five freshmen on the roster. Castillo-Meza said being a part of a large freshman class has helped her adjust to life as a student-athlete.
βI think all of us are working towards the same goal so we always push each other to be better,β Castillo-Meza said. βI have a great team, my teammates are so supportive and we're all good friends inside and outside the court.β
Castillo-Meza says the team frequently gets together for team dinners. The COVID-19 pause to begin the season also helped her grow closer to her teammates.
βI feel like, even after being through some hardships, we bonded more so that was good,β Castillo-Meza said.
