SE: Four Wildcats at ITA All-American Championships a Sign of Program Growth, Chance to Continue Improving
Oct 03, 2019 | Tennis, Sports Extra
By Corbin McGuire
Two years ago, Margot Decker was the only K-State tennis player at the ITA All-American Championships. Last year, Maria Linares went with her. This week, four Wildcats — Decker, Linares, Anna Turco and Karine-Marion Job — will play in the prestigious tournament held in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
"We keep growing," Decker, a junior, said. "We keep getting better."
K-State's quartet of participants is a program record for the ITA All-American Championships. Oklahoma State is the only other Big 12 team to send more than three to the event for singles this season.
Turco said both feats reinforce what she and her teammates already believe: They came to the right place.
"It shows that we are improving. It shows that the work we are doing with the coaches and everybody like (strength and conditioning coach) AJ (Kloss), it's paying off," she said. "At first, it was just Margot. Now we have four. That means it actually works. Everything we do, it has a purpose and it is actually showing. There are results after the work."
Their career accomplishments back that up.
Two seasons ago, Linares was named the Big 12 Freshman of the Year and, alongside Decker, earned Second Team All-Big 12 honors. Turco, a junior, took a step forward last season. After going 17-11 in singles between the Nos. 3-6 positions as a freshman, she went 20-10 in singles as a sophomore and worked her way to the team's top position. Job, a sophomore in her first fall season, went 14-8 last spring that included four Big 12 wins.
All four Wildcats said this week's tournament, filled with ranked opponents, presents another opportunity to improve. Each will begin the week in the pre-qualifying singles bracket, a 96-player field that is divided into 12 sections of eight players. Each section winner will advance to the 64-player qualifying singles bracket, which will feed 16 winners into the main draw. The four Wildcats will also play in doubles, with pairings of Job and Linares and Turco and Decker.
"I like to play with people at the same level or higher than me because I can see how good I am on the court and what things I can work on. You can be, like, 'I need to work on this,' or, 'Why didn't I do this in practice?'" Linares, ranked No. 106 in the ITA Preseason rankings, said. "Win or lose, I just want to learn from what I did well or what I did wrong because then that can help me for regionals or the next couple of tournaments that I have."
Turco agreed. The ITA All-American Championships, regardless of record, should be beneficial in their development.
"Every match with the ranked players, good players, are really tough so I think I'll learn to compete in every single match — every point, always fighting," Turco, who faced five ranked opponents last year, said. "Those matches prepared me for how this tournament is going to be because I think all the girls will be good and highly ranked. Mainly, (I need) to be constant during the match, always fighting and always giving 100 percent because they will."
Decker said it's also an opportunity to gauge to where their games are at right now. She, for instance, has not played in a live match since July. Linares and Turco will also be making their first fall appearances. It will be Job's second tournament.
"I want to see where my level is and build something for the season," Decker said. "Practice and playing a match are so different. The context is not the same and there are so many different things that you cannot produce in practice. Matches are the best way to see where you're at."
Matches against high-level opponents are even better.
"There are a lot of good players out there, so I think will be able to better my game going against them," Job said. "It's always a good thing for me to play against better or ranked players because they're supposed to be better, but it's an opportunity to really see if they are."
Two years ago, Margot Decker was the only K-State tennis player at the ITA All-American Championships. Last year, Maria Linares went with her. This week, four Wildcats — Decker, Linares, Anna Turco and Karine-Marion Job — will play in the prestigious tournament held in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
"We keep growing," Decker, a junior, said. "We keep getting better."
K-State's quartet of participants is a program record for the ITA All-American Championships. Oklahoma State is the only other Big 12 team to send more than three to the event for singles this season.
Turco said both feats reinforce what she and her teammates already believe: They came to the right place.
"It shows that we are improving. It shows that the work we are doing with the coaches and everybody like (strength and conditioning coach) AJ (Kloss), it's paying off," she said. "At first, it was just Margot. Now we have four. That means it actually works. Everything we do, it has a purpose and it is actually showing. There are results after the work."
Their career accomplishments back that up.
Two seasons ago, Linares was named the Big 12 Freshman of the Year and, alongside Decker, earned Second Team All-Big 12 honors. Turco, a junior, took a step forward last season. After going 17-11 in singles between the Nos. 3-6 positions as a freshman, she went 20-10 in singles as a sophomore and worked her way to the team's top position. Job, a sophomore in her first fall season, went 14-8 last spring that included four Big 12 wins.
All four Wildcats said this week's tournament, filled with ranked opponents, presents another opportunity to improve. Each will begin the week in the pre-qualifying singles bracket, a 96-player field that is divided into 12 sections of eight players. Each section winner will advance to the 64-player qualifying singles bracket, which will feed 16 winners into the main draw. The four Wildcats will also play in doubles, with pairings of Job and Linares and Turco and Decker.
"I like to play with people at the same level or higher than me because I can see how good I am on the court and what things I can work on. You can be, like, 'I need to work on this,' or, 'Why didn't I do this in practice?'" Linares, ranked No. 106 in the ITA Preseason rankings, said. "Win or lose, I just want to learn from what I did well or what I did wrong because then that can help me for regionals or the next couple of tournaments that I have."
Turco agreed. The ITA All-American Championships, regardless of record, should be beneficial in their development.
"Every match with the ranked players, good players, are really tough so I think I'll learn to compete in every single match — every point, always fighting," Turco, who faced five ranked opponents last year, said. "Those matches prepared me for how this tournament is going to be because I think all the girls will be good and highly ranked. Mainly, (I need) to be constant during the match, always fighting and always giving 100 percent because they will."
Decker said it's also an opportunity to gauge to where their games are at right now. She, for instance, has not played in a live match since July. Linares and Turco will also be making their first fall appearances. It will be Job's second tournament.
"I want to see where my level is and build something for the season," Decker said. "Practice and playing a match are so different. The context is not the same and there are so many different things that you cannot produce in practice. Matches are the best way to see where you're at."
Matches against high-level opponents are even better.
"There are a lot of good players out there, so I think will be able to better my game going against them," Job said. "It's always a good thing for me to play against better or ranked players because they're supposed to be better, but it's an opportunity to really see if they are."
Players Mentioned
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