Tulane University head women’s tennis coach Terri Sisk discusses her team’s perfromance during the fall, talks about what the team has been up to during the break and previews the spring-opening doubleheader vs. Southern and Xavier.

Tulane University women's tennis standout Mariam Kurdadze discusses her attaining a preseason national ranking, reviews the Green Wave's performance in last week's Memphis Collegiate Invitational and previews the team's trip to Tuscaloosa, Ala., for this weekend's Roberta Alison Fall Classic.

Tulane University head women's tennis coach Terri Sisk reviews her team's performance at last week's Memphis Collegiate Invitational, discusses Mariam Kurdadze receiving a preseason national ranking by the ITA and previews the team's trip to Tuscaloosa, Ala., this weekend for the Roberta Alison Fall Classic.

Tulane women's tennis coach Terri Sisk previews the team's opening weekend of the spring schedule against New Mexico and Texas Tech, the strides her team made since the fall season and her goals for the weekend.

Tulane freshman Emma Levy previews the Green Wave's trip to Lubbock, discusses her first year as a college student-athlete and reflects on her being named The Times of Trenton (N.J.) Player of the Decade.

The Thursday morning bus ride from New Orleans to Memphis was a seven-hour grind.  However, thanks to our fearless leader, Coach Sisk, we all made it safely to our final destination.  The ride was enjoyable, as always, even though a certain someone – who was driving the bus – ran over a couch that was left deserted in the middle of the interstate…just kidding. But, really, she did last year. We were more than ready to hit the courts in Memphis and make Tulane proud of our much anticipated debut for the fall season. Moreover, my teammates and I are very happy to welcome the addition of three freshmen to the program. These girls will clearly make a positive impact on our young team. I might be a little biased, but I really couldn’t imagine a better coach, or a better group of teammates. On and off the court, we truly are a family and not just a team.

Upon our arrival, we headed straight to the tennis courts for some practice time in preparation for the challenging matches that awaited us in the days to come. This was a successful hitting session as we all portrayed excitement and anticipation for the tournament to begin. After a long bus ride and a sweaty practice, the only thing on everyone’s mind was DINNER. A special thanks to Mr. Levy and Mr. Siegel for joining us over such a delightful meal. The dinner was almost two hours long, but the food and company were second to none. Plus, our discussions at the restaurant were very amusing, to say the least. At one point of the conversation, Coach asked us who we thought would be the first to get married. Without a doubt, it was a unanimous decision on Marcela. Furthermore, Hila informed us that she wants to have 23kids…or maybe she said two or three. All the while, Emma Levy enjoyed her bowl of cheese.

Memphis offers some great tennis facilities. Our outdoor play was conducted at the beautiful preparatory school, Memphis University School. In addition, during the rain, we played at the famous Racquet Club of Memphis and WellWorx Fitness Club (thanks to all those making this tournament possible). I would also like to thank the parents for traveling to Memphis to watch and support us during our matches. Here’s a shout out to Mr. Siegel, Mr. Levy, Mr. and Mrs. Hamlin, Mrs. Lange, and my parents, Dr. and Mrs. Gerber. Somehow, in the midst of all the excitement during match play, one of the tennis players from Tulsa’s team approached Emma Helistén with a curious question: “Is your hair real?”  She apparently had a bet going with someone else on her team.  After Emma hesitated for a few moments she assured her that it is, in fact, “real,” to which the girl responded, “I knew it,” and then simply walked away.

The Olive Garden continues to be a tournament regular and favorite as it’s where we ate dinner two nights in a row. On a positive note, Hila got through the whole entire weekend without having one Diet Coke, and Lindsay even resisted from having any breadsticks at the Olive Garden…that is until our second Olive Garden extravaganza. She eventually gave in and had seven or so. After this particular dinner, we were nothing less than hyper. Once we got outside to the bus, we turned up the music and spontaneously decided to get out and dance. Conveniently, there was a busy intersection in front of the restaurant.  Can you guess what happened next?  Yes, we all broke it down for an audience of traffic to the song, “Wanted.”  It was certainly a first, but definitely not a last. We finally decided it was time to get back to the hotel for a good night’s sleep.  But, before we could all get back on the bus, the cutest little boy started walking toward us. Clearly regretting his most recent decision of sharing his thoughts aloud to his mother, he shyly hid behind her back, afraid of what would happen next.  As she shared his secret with us (that we all looked like Barbie dolls,) we agreed it was the sweetest thing any guy had ever said.

As the tournament finally came to an end, we had all played some very incredible matches, but that’s not even the best part. Our support for each other is indefinite, and with this, anything is possible. I’ve got a whole new level of respect for every single person on this team because I know that everyone cares about each teammate individually. Additionally, we all played with tenacity, talent, and high energy. Coach included, tennis is a huge part of who we are…it’s our life, our passion, but above all, it’s our dream. We win, we lose; it’s the reason we laugh, the reason we cry; it defines us, and it helped make us into the very people we are today. Aside from this, we have all the determination in the world to win. I am eager for this season to get started and to see what this year has to bring for our team.  As always, the pleasure was mine!

That’s how we roll….ROLL WAVE

See you soon!
Cai