The awe and delight were palpable in the small but enthusiastic crowd as elite Division 1 college tennis players from across the country filled the tennis courts at the Coronado Tennis Center. The event marked the first of its kind ever hosted in Coronado.
Top-ranked women’s college tennis players from the University of San Diego (USD), Pepperdine, University of Georgia, and the University of Washington played Friday through Sunday, each day showcasing four doubles matches followed by 10 singles matches.
Coronado local and tennis player Kellie McMullen described what was special about the event, “Just seeing different colleges from across the country come together on our courts here in Coronado is a great opportunity. The level of play is spectacular and the professionalism and sportsmanship is fantastic.”
Rita Steel, also a local Coronadan and tennis player, shared, “It’s amazing to see the talent and the level of tennis here in Coronado.” She continued, “The power of these players in terms of how they hit the ball is incredible.”
Coach Nadia Abdala shared that USD hosted the Torero Tennis Classic Tournament to provide its players an opportunity to see how well they competed against the best in the country. The answer: very well. The team won 10 of 15 singles matches and four of six doubles matches. The USD doubles team of Elizabeth Goldsmith and Mia Mack won all three of their doubles matches, two against teams from the University of Washington and one against a team from Pepperdine.
Goldsmith, a 5th year player enrolled in a master’s program in Leadership Studies, described her take on the tournament, “It’s honestly been such a great time being in Coronado, because we kind of get a little home away from home, which is nice because the facility is beautiful. We have been having a good time, enjoying our last tournament of the fall.”
About her Saturday doubles win with Mack she added, “It was really good. Most of our results are based on our energy. We try to go out and have as much positive energy as we can, just focusing on the present moment and having as much fun as possible. And I think that’s what let us win one [on Saturday].”
The team begins its winter season in January. Goldsmith provided her assessment of the team, “We’re very feisty. Very competitive. We lay our hearts on the court every single time we play. So we’re ready to play some high level tennis.” That feistiness and supportive team atmosphere came out in shouts of “Go T-Ros!” and “Come on!” heard by USD players across the courts.
To learn more about the team, visit their website.
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