University of Minnesota Athletics
Women's Tennis Season Blog: Alexa Palen
3/20/2012 12:00:00 AM | Tennis
March 20, 2012
Updated Season Stats | Bio Page: Alexa Palen | Official Facebook Page
Thursday 3/15: Minnesota 4, Tulane 3
Saturday 3/17: Minnesota 4, LSU 3
This past week our team ventured to Louisiana for our Spring Break trip. As all of us stumbled to baseline at 5:30 a.m. there was one particular person that forgot to accompany us. The one and only Aria Lambert (aka Lambo or Little Lamb) was still snuggled in her bed sleeping soundly while the rest of us were rushing to get our bags in the cab. We tried calling and calling, but Little Lamb just wouldn't wake up. Finally, D came to the rescue and broke into her clean apartment to wake her up. We finally all got checked in and rushed to our gate. As we sat in exhaustion, Little Lamb was well rested with her extra hour of sleep.
It was a fabulous start to Spring Breezy '12 for the Gophers as we finally arrived to our house in the late afternoon. Of course, we all fought for the best room. Some punches and elbows were thrown but we worked eventually worked it out..
Due to the rain we couldn't practice the first day so some of the girls decided to go for a walk-and one person tried to go for a run (no need to mention names here). To her disappointment, night fell and she could not find her way back from downtown New Orleans, so she made the most of her time downtown and spent it hanging with three new friends from D.C No worries, the coaches finally found the right Wyndham hotel she was at after five failed attempts. Who knew there were that many Wyndhams in a few mile radius?
The next day after we had a great picnic and practice, we made dinner together back at the house. After dinner all of the girls went out downtown and walked down Bourbon Street. It was quite an experience as there were so many people on the streets. There were multiple bands on the side of the street along with some talented live entertainment. We got a front row spot at two guys who were on America's Got Talent; it was amazing what they could do. We were all so fortunate to be able to experience such a different atmosphere with one another on this trip.
Finally came our match against "The Wave" (Tulane). We played our first outside match all season in 80 degrees with the sun in "full shine" as Julia would say. It was tough getting acclimated to everything outside, but our team did a great job managing the conditions.
The support that we had for each other was really what won us this match. We were down 3-1 and every single person fought their hardest to get us back into the match. I never realized how much of an effect others had on a match until this year, specifically this match. The way our team cheered and supported one another through every point was incredible. The atmosphere we created as a team allowed not only a feeling of unity, but also the opportunity for all of us to work together, and help each our team get another victory.
As Tash battled in the 3rd set, she clinched it for us. There were a lot of emotions after this match, but overall everyone was so excited. We went to celebrate our victory at a restaurant called "The Beach House." I chose this place for the team-having high hopes that it would be a "beach like" experience… I would say our experience wasn't quite "beach like" at all. It was nowhere near the beach nor did it have the vibe of a beach, but it was at least an experience we'd all remember. With one cook, limited lighting, and limited menus available, we all managed to enjoy the time we spent together that night.
Before we knew it we were back at it playing LSU on another beautiful day. As we fell short in doubles, we battled LSU in a match that took just a little under five hours. There are so many things to say about this match. However, to sum it up I would say that this year we are a team unlike any other. Each person showed commitment to the team every point throughout the whole match. There was not a moment where any single person (playing or not) let up. Cheering, staying positive, committed, energized, and smart, once again we were able to battle through to a 4-3 victory over LSU. I cannot express enough how being a committed TEAM got us through this Spring Break. The fight each person displayed through playing or cheering was evident and really got us through that Saturday.
At last, we got to the airport a little early (6 a.m.) to head back to Minny. We cannot be more excited to get back to our homeland, but leave with pride and excitement of a great Spring Break.
We had two solid wins this past week and we overcame a lot of adversity playing outside in the heat. We are excited and proud of one another, yet we aren't surprised that we did it.
We knew we could do it all along. This is the year for us. We are a team. It is pretty amazing how dedicated each individual on this team is. Each day we step onto the tennis court and we have a purpose. We are here to get better at any cost. The desire to be the best we can really shines when we are together. We each have a longing to explore the unknown: to go where no team at Minnesota has gone before.
I hope you can continue to follow our team and support us as we bring out the most of our potential. This team is so great and I love all of them so much. Each person on this team contributes something special and it's pretty neat to be able to share these experiences with people who care so much about one another. Thanks for everyone's support. We are a truly blessed team and we hope to continue to make things exciting for everyone. Hope all had a fun St. Patty's day.
Take care!
Players Mentioned
