Friday, April 13
Eugene, OR
1:30 PM
University of Oregon
4
vs
0
Colorado
Sweep Of Colorado Builds Momentum For Senior Day
04/13/18 | Women's Tennis
After sweeping Colorado on Friday, the Ducks will host Utah on Sunday, which is senior day for a class that includes prolific No. 1 player Alyssa Tobita.
EUGENE, Ore. — On Sunday, before the UO women's tennis team wraps up the 2018 regular season at home against Utah, the Ducks will honor the careers of seniors Alyssa Tobita and Nia Rose.
Tobita will finish her final regular season third all-time at Oregon in singles victories. The explosive athlete from Hawaii is 76-47 over the last four years, and also has been a prolific doubles player, having helped the No. 30 Ducks (13-8, 4-5 Pac-12) win that point on the way to a 4-0 sweep of Colorado on Friday at the university's outdoor courts.
Tobita was up a set in her singles match Friday when the Ducks clinched the match. Thus, she didn't get to add to her team-leading victory total of 17 this season. She remains at 10-6 playing in the No. 1 spot, including a win last week at Stanford over the No. 16 player in the country, Michaela Gordon.
It's quite a résumé, and one Tobita's coaches and teammates never doubted the former five-star recruit could amass. About the only person who might have needed convincing, when Tobita arrived at Oregon four years ago, was Tobita herself.
"I don't think I gave myself enough credit," Tobita said Friday, after a win over Colorado clinched by singles victories from teammates Julia Lilien, Daniela Naser and Rifanty Kahfiani. "There have been a lot of hard times, and coaches had to tell me, 'We believe in you.' "
The hard times included a month long stretch from early February to early March this season, in which Tobita went 5-3. All three losses were to ranked players, and all three went three sets.
"Coaches kept telling, 'Those are ones you're going to start winning,' " she said. "And then, I had the best week of my life last weekend."
Indeed, though the Ducks came home from the Bay Area a week ago disappointed by losses to California and Stanford, their No. 1 player could hold her head high. Tobita survived a first-set tiebreaker to beat No. 41 Julia Rosenqvist of Cal, then bounced back from a first-set loss to beat Gordon of Stanford.
"She's just methodically put in the work, every single day, and has really trusted the process throughout her career," UO coach Alison Silverio said. "It's no surprise to me, or any of our staff, or her teammates that she's having the success she is."
Truth be told, however, even that sort of work ethic is something Tobita doubted a few years ago. She had already signed with Oregon when Silverio was hired as head coach in 2014. When the new coach called to introduce herself, she spoke excitedly of working day in, day out to help Tobita improve her game.
"It freaked me out at first; 'Oh my gosh, she's going to get on us,' " Tobita recalled with a laugh Friday. "But I couldn't have asked for anything more, because I wouldn't have gotten to this level without it. …
"There was an expectation of excellence when Alison came. We don't accept losing, and I love that."
Silverio certainly wasn't going to accept Oregon's results last week in the Bay Area, even if they were to two ranked opponents. The Ducks have been ranked as high as No. 17 themselves this season, highest in school history, against a tough schedule loaded with quality nonconference competition as well as the always daunting Pac-12 slate.
A couple years ago, Silverio appreciated Tobita's underdog mentality, when she was helping the program bounce back from a seven-win season in 2013, the year before each arrived in Eugene. But just as Silverio has helped instill in Tobita a belief she can be an elite player, so too does she want the Ducks at this point to believe they can play with anybody, and dominate when they're supposed to.
That included a match like Friday's, against an opponent that came in with one conference win.
"Colorado's a great team," Silverio said. "But we were on a mission today, to send a message. Toughness is what we've got to be about at this point in the season."
The Ducks showed it in their sweep of the Buffaloes. They'll look for a similar effort Sunday against the Utes. And as they have all season, they'll look to the senior in the No. 1 spot, Tobita, to set the tone.
Tobita will finish her final regular season third all-time at Oregon in singles victories. The explosive athlete from Hawaii is 76-47 over the last four years, and also has been a prolific doubles player, having helped the No. 30 Ducks (13-8, 4-5 Pac-12) win that point on the way to a 4-0 sweep of Colorado on Friday at the university's outdoor courts.
Tobita was up a set in her singles match Friday when the Ducks clinched the match. Thus, she didn't get to add to her team-leading victory total of 17 this season. She remains at 10-6 playing in the No. 1 spot, including a win last week at Stanford over the No. 16 player in the country, Michaela Gordon.
It's quite a résumé, and one Tobita's coaches and teammates never doubted the former five-star recruit could amass. About the only person who might have needed convincing, when Tobita arrived at Oregon four years ago, was Tobita herself.
"I don't think I gave myself enough credit," Tobita said Friday, after a win over Colorado clinched by singles victories from teammates Julia Lilien, Daniela Naser and Rifanty Kahfiani. "There have been a lot of hard times, and coaches had to tell me, 'We believe in you.' "
The hard times included a month long stretch from early February to early March this season, in which Tobita went 5-3. All three losses were to ranked players, and all three went three sets.
"Coaches kept telling, 'Those are ones you're going to start winning,' " she said. "And then, I had the best week of my life last weekend."
Indeed, though the Ducks came home from the Bay Area a week ago disappointed by losses to California and Stanford, their No. 1 player could hold her head high. Tobita survived a first-set tiebreaker to beat No. 41 Julia Rosenqvist of Cal, then bounced back from a first-set loss to beat Gordon of Stanford.
"She's just methodically put in the work, every single day, and has really trusted the process throughout her career," UO coach Alison Silverio said. "It's no surprise to me, or any of our staff, or her teammates that she's having the success she is."
Truth be told, however, even that sort of work ethic is something Tobita doubted a few years ago. She had already signed with Oregon when Silverio was hired as head coach in 2014. When the new coach called to introduce herself, she spoke excitedly of working day in, day out to help Tobita improve her game.
"It freaked me out at first; 'Oh my gosh, she's going to get on us,' " Tobita recalled with a laugh Friday. "But I couldn't have asked for anything more, because I wouldn't have gotten to this level without it. …
"There was an expectation of excellence when Alison came. We don't accept losing, and I love that."
Silverio certainly wasn't going to accept Oregon's results last week in the Bay Area, even if they were to two ranked opponents. The Ducks have been ranked as high as No. 17 themselves this season, highest in school history, against a tough schedule loaded with quality nonconference competition as well as the always daunting Pac-12 slate.
A couple years ago, Silverio appreciated Tobita's underdog mentality, when she was helping the program bounce back from a seven-win season in 2013, the year before each arrived in Eugene. But just as Silverio has helped instill in Tobita a belief she can be an elite player, so too does she want the Ducks at this point to believe they can play with anybody, and dominate when they're supposed to.
That included a match like Friday's, against an opponent that came in with one conference win.
"Colorado's a great team," Silverio said. "But we were on a mission today, to send a message. Toughness is what we've got to be about at this point in the season."
The Ducks showed it in their sweep of the Buffaloes. They'll look for a similar effort Sunday against the Utes. And as they have all season, they'll look to the senior in the No. 1 spot, Tobita, to set the tone.
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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