by Steven Fernandez
Daily Lobo
Maja Kovacek will get one last opportunity to play with her teammates before her career at UNM comes to an end.
The senior All-American tennis player said she was surprised to find out the No. 46 Lobos were selected to play at the NCAA Championships, which begin May 12.
"We didn't really expect it, I guess," Kovacek said. "We were hoping for it but not expecting it, so we wouldn't get disappointed. It was really exciting when we found out that we got in."
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Kovacek said the reason no one on the team had their hopes up is because they knew it was a good possibility the team wouldn't be selected to go. The Lobos were in a similar position last season when they were not invited to the NCAA Championships.
However, UNM's regular season record of 13-7 overall and 4-4 in the Mountain West Conference was good enough for the Lobos to be one of the 64 teams invited. The Lobos will take on No. 27-ranked Long Beach State University in the first round of the championships.
Kovacek and doubles teammate Iva Gersic were going to play in the NCAA Championships regardless of the team's fate because the All-American team is ranked No. 4 in the nation among doubles teams. Kovacek said she is proud she and Gersic received such high recognition this season.
"That's something we hoped to do since the beginning of the season," Kovacek said. "It's good that we managed to do that. It means a lot to me to be a two-time All-American."
Gersic also said she was excited about her All-American honor and is confident she and Kovacek can hang with any doubles team in the tournament.
"If we play really well, I don't see how we can lose to be honest," Gersic said. "We're confident, and I feel really good about it."
While Kovacek and Gersic were assured of their spot in the championships, Kovacek said she was hoping the rest of the team could make the trip as well. The Lobos lost the semifinal match of the MWC Championships against Texas Christian University on March 29. Kovacek said she is happy the team will get a chance to redeem itself at the NCAA tournament.
"That means so much to me," Kovacek said. "Losing that match at conference was kind of a sad way to go. I was extra happy to find out that I would play another team match."
Junior Nora Quintal, who is the team's No. 3 singles player, said she has been training hard and is ready to play. Quintal teams up with Maria Sotirchos for the Lobos' No. 3 doubles spot.
Quintal said the two have been clicking in practice, and they are confident they can help the No. 1 and No. 2 teams earn the doubles point in the tournament.
"We're playing good," Quintal said. "Maria and I are playing together now, and it feels good because one and two are really good so we don't have so much pressure."
Head coach Kathy Kolankiewicz said the Lobos were the last team to receive an at-large bid to the national tournament this year, after being the first team left out last season. She had the women prepare for the worst, but she was excited to find out the team had a chance to extend its season, she said.
"We feel a little bit lucky, but we also feel that we very much deserved to be in this tournament," Kolankiewicz said. "We feel we're right in there with a lot of these teams. We're really excited about the draw we got."
