At the beginning of the 2010 women’s tennis season, senior co-captains Brittany Blalock and Suzie Matzenauer had one goal in mind: compete in the NCAA Championships as a doubles pair.
The duo, ranked first in the Big West and 48th overall in the country, did just that as they secured one of 32 spots in the NCAA Championships, which begin on Thursday, May 27 in Athens, Georgia.
From the beginning of the season, head coach Hugh Bream said he knew that Blalock and Matzenauer were capable of competing against anybody. Their relationship throughout this year as friends and doubles partners has helped bring about success.
“They both have a lot of self-confidence and they both believe in their individual abilities and in themselves as a team,” Bream said. “They are both experienced enough to know that this is a really difficult process to get down to the final 32 teams out of 3,000, and if you cut any corners, you aren’t going to be one of those teams.”
A big key for both players is having the other one there to lean on when things are tough. Matzenauer said it would have been much tougher to keep training by herself.
“It’s hard to motivate yourself when you’re doing it on your own, but when you have a partner you create that bond together during those tough days and practices,” Matzenauer said. “Brittany is right there with a smile on her face and encouraging me, so it motivates me to work even harder.”
For both players, this year was a culmination of four years of hard work and dedication to the women’s tennis program. Matzenauer said they were successful this year because they were able to put the distractions off the court behind them and concentrate on just playing tennis.
“We put our heart into this year,” Matzenauer said. “Even if we had a midterm or a final or were stressed, we came out on the court and put it behind us and focused solely on tennis.”
Blalock and Matzenauer said they are not just satisfied with making it into the tournament.
“It’s the place you want to be at the end of the season,” Blalock said. “We’re happy to be here, but we want to do as well as we can there and we aren’t going to be satisfied unless we accomplish our goals.”
Blalock and Matzenauer are ready to show people that they can play at the highest level. Bream said the duo can compete against anyone in the country.
“Whether you’re in a program that has all the bells and whistles and a big stadium or you’re in a great medium-sized school like Cal Poly in a beautiful area, we feel like we can accomplish every bit as much as the top programs,” Bream said.
For Matzenauer, she is excited to be able to represent Cal Poly on the biggest stage.
“It’s an honor to represent Cal Poly, and I’m just looking forward to playing with Brittany and competing against the best girls in the nation,” Matzenauer said. “The coolest thing about it is showing them that even a small school can do really well and compete against the bigger names in tennis.”
The pair has been successful this year because they balance each other out on the court. Bream said Matzenauer is the aggressor and more fiery as a competitor, while Blalock is more even-keeled — the two are the perfect combination.
“Brittany is really level-headed and every day she is there with the same mindset working very hard,” Bream said. “Suzie’s really enthusiastic and she can get really emotional in a positive way. Suzie’s fire combined with Brittany’s ice really combined to help them as a doubles team a lot.”
Blalock had similar comments when asked about what Matzenauer brings to their team.
“Suzie’s definitely very fiery and very competitive,” Blalock said. “She has a huge serve and big volleys and has a very aggressive game style that’s intimidating to our opponents.”
Matzenauer said Blalock’s consistency has carried the team and allowed them to remain in every match.
“Brittany is just so solid on the baseline and her returns are phenomenal,” Matzenauer said. “She’s got a huge serve, and I can always count on her to get that ball back and deep into our opponents. I know Brittany is going to be there.”
Throughout their time at Cal Poly, Bream has served as more than a coach for Blalock and Matzenauer. They both said he has been a mentor and has allowed them to grow as people.
“He believes in us a hundred percent and gives us all the tools to train and become the best players we can be going into the tournament,” Blalock said. “I couldn’t see that with anybody else.”
Matzenauer said Bream is a friend who is always there cheering them on and helping them develop.
“He’s very competitive, just like us, and he gives us 24/7 of his time to help us get better,” Matzenauer said. “He’s an amazing coach but really just someone that I respect with everything that I have.”
For Bream, he loves the competition and is glad he can be with the two of them as they go for the national championship.
“I just think it’s a great way to go out with the two of them, and they are certainly one of the teams that are capable of winning the national championship,” Bream said. “They’ve done everything they can do to play well and they are going to play well.”
With the championships fast approaching, Blalock and Matzenauer are both excited for play to commence.
“We’re both really pumped and we’ve both been training really hard,” Blalock said. “We’re going to get there and get a couple of days to acclimate with the different time zone, location and courts. That will help us relax and get used to it so when we go and play that first match it’s going to be all business.”
No matter what the result at the championships, Bream said he is proud of what Blalock and Matzenauer have achieved in their years at Cal Poly both on and off the court.
“I’m really going to miss them — and there’s going to be some sadness — but more pride in how they committed to their sport and their school over their time here,” Bream said. “I’m really excited to see where they are going to go from here, after their college experience at Cal Poly.”