Tennis: Two sophomores do their part for the team

There are nine members on the University of Colorado tennis team, but only six are able to compete in each event leaving some without the chance to play.

Sophomores Allie Wahba and Madie Kern have both been on the team for two seasons, but have seen limited playing time. Wahba has never played in the spring regular season, while Kern just got her first chance after senior Camila Belassi got injured. Both players competed in the fall season, which consists of tournaments.

Every week, both athletes practice for 20 hours, hitting for 10 hours and lifting weights for 10 hours, but they still don’t see a lot of time on the court on match day. So why do they stick with it?

“I like being on the team,” Wahba said. “It is pretty much why I am still here.”

Wahba’s match day includes hitting with her teammates to warm herself up, helping warm up the singles players, and then cheering and giving support to her teammates from the sidelines.

Kern’s day used to be similar to Wahba’s, but with Belassi’s injury, Kern has begun to play doubles with senior Melisa Esposito, while occasionally playing a few singles matches.

After she is done playing, instead of heading over and cheering with Wahba, Kern heads to one of the singles courts where she continues to fulfill her student-athlete responsibility by helping her competing teammate as a student-coach of sorts.

It’s a position that she really enjoys.

“It’s really fun,” Kern said. “It’s interesting, I feel a lot more in the match, more present, and I feel that I have been able to connect with some players on a different level through the matches so it’s really interesting.”

Though she has started to see some playing time, Kern isn’t slowing her work ethic as she’s thinking of the possibility of playing full time next season.

“I keep just working hard through all of practice, knowing that next year or in future years that I’m going to get the chance, and that it is just what the team needs right now,” Kern said.

Wahba has a similar hope for next season.

“Even though I am not playing, I still get to watch and stuff, and still kind of prepare myself for what will happen next year,” Wahba said.

With three seniors on the squad, the opportunity for more playing time next season is there, but they’ll need to keep working hard to earn a regular spot in the lineup next year.

“This is a great opportunity and depending on what they decide to with that opportunity, the opportunity is there to prove themselves,” said CU head coach Nicole Kenneally.