SE: K-State Tennis Seniors Costamagna, Lewis Give Strong Leadership Back to Program that Cultivated Their Personal Growth
Apr 19, 2018 | Tennis, Sports Extra
By Corbin McGuire
One of the first conversations K-State tennis seniors Carolina Costamagna and Carolina Lewis had was about their first names.
Constantly they heard it pronounced like the state, care-ah-LINE-ah, instead of the correct version, car-o-LEE-nah. As annoying as it can be, this pet peeve helped the two Wildcats gain an instant bond.
"The whole name thing kind of brought us together," Lewis said. "That was our first really bonding experience."
Costamagna, who goes by Caro, and Lewis, who goes by Carol, hold more in common than their first names, too.
From the emotions of their first matches at K-State to their impact as leaders of this year's team to their personal growth in differing amounts of time in Manhattan, both seniors have shared positive journeys as Wildcats.
Each will reminisce on their time at K-State more often this week as their home careers near the end, with the Wildcats hosting Oklahoma on Friday and Oklahoma State on Sunday for Senior Day.
To fully appreciate where they are now, Costamagna and Lewis need only to look at where they started.
First Time Back
Costamagna's first individual match at K-State was a three-set loss at UNLV in the spring. It followed a doubles win with Palma Juhasz, ending Costamagna's nearly yearlong wait to take the court for the Wildcats, which is all she remembers about it.
"I remember I really wanted to start playing because I was just practicing and practicing and practicing," Costamagna said. "That moment, I was kind of nervous, but I was really happy, really excited to start competing."
Costamagna, who grew up in Argentina, developed into one of the country's top junior players and took a year after high school to compete on the WTA Tour. Per NCAA rules, when she came to K-State she had to sit out the fall portion of her freshman season because of her professional experience.
This only added to the difficulty of her transition to the United States, where she said she could not speak "one word" of English when she arrived.
"My teammates were just awesome with me. Even though I couldn't speak one word, they kept telling me, 'Keep trying, keep trying,' and that's how I learned," she said. "ELP (English Language Program) helped me a lot, but also my teammates because I was around them, listened to them. They always made me feel like part of the conversation. Even if they were hanging out, they always told me to come with them and I was always around them. That helped me out."
Lewis took a different route to K-State, but her first action as a Wildcat was equally as memorable and also ended a long wait to play.
A South Carolina native, Lewis started her career at West Virginia. Following three seasons with the Mountaineers, she transferred to K-State for a fresh start for her final year. And after sitting out in the fall, Lewis won her first match in more than a year in K-State's January 18 sweep of UMKC to open the spring season.
"Being able to have the opportunity to compete again, you're just so happy," she said. "Being able to get that first win was special."
While short in duration, Lewis said the same of her time at K-State. Specifically, she feels like she's in a much better place, mentally, than when she arrived. She said it's a credit to the caring environment within the Wildcats' tennis program.
"To come here and have structure and have people that truly care about you and want the best for you, then you grow up and you start to get your priorities right because they want the best for you and then you want it for yourself, too," she said. "Honestly, I just love the support I've gotten from everyone."
Team Grandmas
Neither Lewis nor Costamagna had experienced a ton of team success before this season.
Lewis had never been part of a Big 12 dual victory until she came to K-State. With the Wildcats' current 4-3 record in Big 12 play to sit in fifth place, Costamagna has already doubled the amount of regular season conference dual victories she had experienced before this spring.
Both agreed the team's success, which includes the most wins since the 2010-11 season, is a product of hard work and talent coming together. The Tennis Recruiting Network ranked K-State's latest recruiting class No. 14 in the country.
With the four international freshmen from that class, K-State now ranks No. 38 in the Oracle/ITA standings and, in a few weeks, could make its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2003.
Without the two seniors, however, the Wildcats likely would not be standing in this position. Their leadership has been key in helping all the freshmen transition successfully to collegiate tennis and life in another country.
"I really tried to help them out in everything," Costamagna said. "I'm always open to them, for anything at any time. I'm always happy to help the freshmen in the transition. That's really hard. The same thing my old teammates did with me, I tried to do that with them."
"The whole team is so young, and me and Caro are the grandmas of the team," Lewis added. "We know how the Big 12 works. We know how these dual matches work. Whatever they need, basically. If it's anything to do with previous experiences that we've had or advice, they can come to us for it."
While Lewis has only played in a combined seven matches this season, Costamagna said her senior counterpart has added another vital layer of leadership to the team.
"I think she brings a lot of experience and positive energy to the team," Costamagna said. "She's always there for us cheering and she's always just a really happy person. You can always laugh around with her. I think she's a really good influence for the team."
Lewis said it was tough at first to a take on a lesser playing role, but it's been a rewarding experience to help a team succeed in a different fashion.
"Being able to help in another way is just as important," she said. "I've just been making sure that their minds are always staying focused on the right things, just being able to help in any way possible."
Senior Sendoff
The path to this point for Lewis and Costamagna has been winding with many unexpected turns.
Lewis went from the No. 1 recruit in South Carolina to a standout at West Virginia to an important leader for a Wildcat team filled with youth and promise.
Costamagna, with more than 100 combined singles and doubles wins as a Wildcat, went from one of her country's top junior players competing on a professional circuit to a bilingual college senior in the midst of one of K-State's best seasons in program history.
This weekend, the Wildcats will try to add to it in their seniors' final home matches. Costamagna and Lewis said the weekend is about much more than them, however.
"It's awesome playing at home. I enjoy that a lot, and the environment with my teammates. I'm going to miss that next year," Costamagna said. "I can't believe it, really. It's my last season and the best season for the team. I'm really happy about it, not just for me but also for the girls, for the coaches. We really deserve it and more. I'm just happy about it because we worked really hard and we deserve it. I think we can still do more in these last two matches."
"When I was a freshman I would have never thought I'd be at another Big 12 school, a school that I've played against, but it's been so worth it," Lewis added. "But it's not the results. That's great and that's awesome, but it's more about that I'm with a group of people that I love and every single day I get to be beside them and get to be with them. And we don't even get sick of each other at all. We love each other. Just having that bond with them, that's what makes it worth it to me, being with my best friends every single day."
One of the first conversations K-State tennis seniors Carolina Costamagna and Carolina Lewis had was about their first names.
Constantly they heard it pronounced like the state, care-ah-LINE-ah, instead of the correct version, car-o-LEE-nah. As annoying as it can be, this pet peeve helped the two Wildcats gain an instant bond.
"The whole name thing kind of brought us together," Lewis said. "That was our first really bonding experience."
Costamagna, who goes by Caro, and Lewis, who goes by Carol, hold more in common than their first names, too.
From the emotions of their first matches at K-State to their impact as leaders of this year's team to their personal growth in differing amounts of time in Manhattan, both seniors have shared positive journeys as Wildcats.
Each will reminisce on their time at K-State more often this week as their home careers near the end, with the Wildcats hosting Oklahoma on Friday and Oklahoma State on Sunday for Senior Day.
To fully appreciate where they are now, Costamagna and Lewis need only to look at where they started.
First Time Back
Costamagna's first individual match at K-State was a three-set loss at UNLV in the spring. It followed a doubles win with Palma Juhasz, ending Costamagna's nearly yearlong wait to take the court for the Wildcats, which is all she remembers about it.
"I remember I really wanted to start playing because I was just practicing and practicing and practicing," Costamagna said. "That moment, I was kind of nervous, but I was really happy, really excited to start competing."
Costamagna, who grew up in Argentina, developed into one of the country's top junior players and took a year after high school to compete on the WTA Tour. Per NCAA rules, when she came to K-State she had to sit out the fall portion of her freshman season because of her professional experience.
This only added to the difficulty of her transition to the United States, where she said she could not speak "one word" of English when she arrived.
"My teammates were just awesome with me. Even though I couldn't speak one word, they kept telling me, 'Keep trying, keep trying,' and that's how I learned," she said. "ELP (English Language Program) helped me a lot, but also my teammates because I was around them, listened to them. They always made me feel like part of the conversation. Even if they were hanging out, they always told me to come with them and I was always around them. That helped me out."
Lewis took a different route to K-State, but her first action as a Wildcat was equally as memorable and also ended a long wait to play.
A South Carolina native, Lewis started her career at West Virginia. Following three seasons with the Mountaineers, she transferred to K-State for a fresh start for her final year. And after sitting out in the fall, Lewis won her first match in more than a year in K-State's January 18 sweep of UMKC to open the spring season.
"Being able to have the opportunity to compete again, you're just so happy," she said. "Being able to get that first win was special."
While short in duration, Lewis said the same of her time at K-State. Specifically, she feels like she's in a much better place, mentally, than when she arrived. She said it's a credit to the caring environment within the Wildcats' tennis program.
"To come here and have structure and have people that truly care about you and want the best for you, then you grow up and you start to get your priorities right because they want the best for you and then you want it for yourself, too," she said. "Honestly, I just love the support I've gotten from everyone."
Team Grandmas
Neither Lewis nor Costamagna had experienced a ton of team success before this season.
Lewis had never been part of a Big 12 dual victory until she came to K-State. With the Wildcats' current 4-3 record in Big 12 play to sit in fifth place, Costamagna has already doubled the amount of regular season conference dual victories she had experienced before this spring.
Both agreed the team's success, which includes the most wins since the 2010-11 season, is a product of hard work and talent coming together. The Tennis Recruiting Network ranked K-State's latest recruiting class No. 14 in the country.
With the four international freshmen from that class, K-State now ranks No. 38 in the Oracle/ITA standings and, in a few weeks, could make its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2003.
Without the two seniors, however, the Wildcats likely would not be standing in this position. Their leadership has been key in helping all the freshmen transition successfully to collegiate tennis and life in another country.
"I really tried to help them out in everything," Costamagna said. "I'm always open to them, for anything at any time. I'm always happy to help the freshmen in the transition. That's really hard. The same thing my old teammates did with me, I tried to do that with them."
"The whole team is so young, and me and Caro are the grandmas of the team," Lewis added. "We know how the Big 12 works. We know how these dual matches work. Whatever they need, basically. If it's anything to do with previous experiences that we've had or advice, they can come to us for it."
While Lewis has only played in a combined seven matches this season, Costamagna said her senior counterpart has added another vital layer of leadership to the team.
"I think she brings a lot of experience and positive energy to the team," Costamagna said. "She's always there for us cheering and she's always just a really happy person. You can always laugh around with her. I think she's a really good influence for the team."
Lewis said it was tough at first to a take on a lesser playing role, but it's been a rewarding experience to help a team succeed in a different fashion.
"Being able to help in another way is just as important," she said. "I've just been making sure that their minds are always staying focused on the right things, just being able to help in any way possible."
Senior Sendoff
The path to this point for Lewis and Costamagna has been winding with many unexpected turns.
Lewis went from the No. 1 recruit in South Carolina to a standout at West Virginia to an important leader for a Wildcat team filled with youth and promise.
Costamagna, with more than 100 combined singles and doubles wins as a Wildcat, went from one of her country's top junior players competing on a professional circuit to a bilingual college senior in the midst of one of K-State's best seasons in program history.
This weekend, the Wildcats will try to add to it in their seniors' final home matches. Costamagna and Lewis said the weekend is about much more than them, however.
"It's awesome playing at home. I enjoy that a lot, and the environment with my teammates. I'm going to miss that next year," Costamagna said. "I can't believe it, really. It's my last season and the best season for the team. I'm really happy about it, not just for me but also for the girls, for the coaches. We really deserve it and more. I'm just happy about it because we worked really hard and we deserve it. I think we can still do more in these last two matches."
"When I was a freshman I would have never thought I'd be at another Big 12 school, a school that I've played against, but it's been so worth it," Lewis added. "But it's not the results. That's great and that's awesome, but it's more about that I'm with a group of people that I love and every single day I get to be beside them and get to be with them. And we don't even get sick of each other at all. We love each other. Just having that bond with them, that's what makes it worth it to me, being with my best friends every single day."
Players Mentioned
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