This week I had the opportunity to interview one of the athletes of the week, sophomore Malory Watkins from the tennis team.
“The season has been fantastic so far,” said Watkins. “We have a lot of wins and some losses that I think have given us guidance on what to work on. We have been working hard as a team in practice and conditioning, and I think you can see that translating on the court… The state of the team is very strong. I think we as a whole are driven to make an impact as we come into a new conference and show what we got.”
“[One of] the difference-makers on the team that stands out to me is our co-captain Ariadna Zegarra,” said Watkins. “She is an amazing captain on the court; she goes above and beyond what is required. She sets up practices with just our team and conditioning when it is not required to do so. She is also a big support off the court as well. She cheers for every member of the team while they’re playing and offers advice while they are on the court. A lot of my memories of her are of her encouraging me during my long matches and just being inspiring. It also helps a lot that she is just an amazing person, as well as an impactful and fierce tennis player. I would also say another difference maker on the team is Katherine Nova. She is a fierce competitor. I say this as someone who has played against her in tournaments and practices for years before she chose to commit to Asbury. She is an amazing player who has helped the team get victories by holding down her position. I think she has proven herself this semester as a fierce and strong competitor, which I knew was going to happen because she is truly amazing. She is also really impactful off the court as well… Two other big difference-makers are our two other freshmen, Cara Clark and MaryAlice McVey. They, as freshmen, are coming into a really strong team, and they hold their own during practices and matches. Cara is a really amazing person. She is at every game cheering us on and is ready to step in at any moment. I can’t wait to see what she does in the next couple of years, because she is an amazing tennis player. This goes for MaryAlice as well. She is a kind person who I can’t wait to see grow on this team in the next couple of years.”
After, I asked what she thought caused her to be named athlete of the week and what it meant to her, Watkins responded, “I think I earned the title by being positive and working hard in practice. This means a lot to me because I was chosen out of so many amazing players who work hard and play hard. This also just gives me the push to keep working hard.”
Finally, when asked about goals for the season, Watkins replied, “My goal this year as a personal goal and team goal is since we have so many seniors on our roster now, and we are new to the conference, we really want to at least make an impact in the conference and hopefully win the conference because we have so many seniors who this is their last chance to do that. I want, and the team wants, that as a goal. For this reason, I think that’s why we are working so hard because we all really want it for our seniors.”
Photo courtesy of AU Athletics.
