Spring Break
Women's tennis duo play hard in the 'pit'
MANIK K. GUPTA
Issue date: 4/10/09 Section: Sports
Playing in the "pit" might not sound too desirable, but don't tell that to a couple of the Georgia women's tennis team's most consistent players.
With three of the six outdoor tennis courts elevated at Henry Feild Stadium, the bottom three courts sit about six to eight feet lower and are where the No. 4, No. 5 and No. 6 singles matches take place.
And at Georgia tennis, playing at the bottom in the lineup has been defined as playing in the "pit."
Both junior Naoko Ueshima and sophomore Cameron Ellis have made a living playing in the pit for the second-ranked Bulldogs in 2009.
"You always want to do well for your teammates, so that's the biggest motivation," Ueshima said. "I just want to win for my team and my coaches."
Added Ellis: "We play with a lot of heart in the 'pit,' and we kind of feel it's our responsibility to be guaranteed wins for the rest of the team. We take that really seriously. We take a lot of pride in trying to win every single match."
Although it might not be a guaranteed victory, it's pretty close.
Ueshima owns a 16-0 record in the spring, including a 13-0 record at the 5-singles position, and Ellis is 14-1 in dual match play since the beginning of the year with all of her victories coming from "pit" positions, No. 5 and No. 6.
"It's a lot of fun. We joke about being in the pit all the time, and it's not quite as glamorous as up top," Ellis said. "But, we just try to get the job done. You know every point counts the same, so we just try to get the win for the rest of the team."
Head coach Jeff Wallace felt that the team would be deep going into the season no matter how the lineup was set.
"Both of them have had fantastic years, and depth is a great part of our team," Wallace said. "In college women's tennis, the teams that are deep are the ones that are doing well. Every spot is a point, and it's just as important to win at 6 as it is at 1."
In her second campaign with the Bulldogs, Ellis is already on her way to reaching historic milestones. After a 37-8 freshman season, the Roswell native has dropped a mere three matches in her sophomore season.
With three of the six outdoor tennis courts elevated at Henry Feild Stadium, the bottom three courts sit about six to eight feet lower and are where the No. 4, No. 5 and No. 6 singles matches take place.
And at Georgia tennis, playing at the bottom in the lineup has been defined as playing in the "pit."
Both junior Naoko Ueshima and sophomore Cameron Ellis have made a living playing in the pit for the second-ranked Bulldogs in 2009.
"You always want to do well for your teammates, so that's the biggest motivation," Ueshima said. "I just want to win for my team and my coaches."
Added Ellis: "We play with a lot of heart in the 'pit,' and we kind of feel it's our responsibility to be guaranteed wins for the rest of the team. We take that really seriously. We take a lot of pride in trying to win every single match."
Although it might not be a guaranteed victory, it's pretty close.
Ueshima owns a 16-0 record in the spring, including a 13-0 record at the 5-singles position, and Ellis is 14-1 in dual match play since the beginning of the year with all of her victories coming from "pit" positions, No. 5 and No. 6.
"It's a lot of fun. We joke about being in the pit all the time, and it's not quite as glamorous as up top," Ellis said. "But, we just try to get the job done. You know every point counts the same, so we just try to get the win for the rest of the team."
Head coach Jeff Wallace felt that the team would be deep going into the season no matter how the lineup was set.
"Both of them have had fantastic years, and depth is a great part of our team," Wallace said. "In college women's tennis, the teams that are deep are the ones that are doing well. Every spot is a point, and it's just as important to win at 6 as it is at 1."
In her second campaign with the Bulldogs, Ellis is already on her way to reaching historic milestones. After a 37-8 freshman season, the Roswell native has dropped a mere three matches in her sophomore season.
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