by Brandon Call
Daily Lobo
Freshman Sandra Zmak didn't wait long to make an impact on the UNM women's tennis team.
Since joining the team this fall, Zmak has a 21-11 record in singles. She won her first tournament- - the third flight of the San Diego Fall Classic - in San Diego
on Nov. 5.
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Since then, playing at the No. 2, 3 and 4 positions, Zmak has posted a 14-7 record in singles this spring, including a 4-4 record in the Mountain West Conference.
Head coach Kathy Kolankiewicz said Zmak is successful for several reasons.
"Sandra has some good power, but that, combined with her consistency, is what really makes her successful,"
Kolankiewicz said. "She does not make a lot of unforced errors, and she is able to put the ball deep into the court."
In addition, Zmak and teammate Mackenzie White are the team's first left-handed hitters in more than
five years.
Kolankiewicz said being a lefty is an advantage for Zmak.
"Her serve is a left-handed serve with a lot of spin that is very tricky to return," she said. "Going into a match, left-handed players have the advantage because not many people get to practice against lefties
that often."
Zmak grew up in Pula, Croatia, where she started playing tennis at the age of 5.
Coming to the United States to play collegiate tennis was not an easy transition, Zmak said.
"It was hard at the beginning because it was just me and Ashley (Bonner) as the only freshmen," she said. "She is an American, and I am from overseas. So at the beginning, it was difficult, but Maja (Kovacek) and Iva (Gersic) are from Croatia, and they really helped
me out."
Zmak also grew up playing on clay courts, which made the transition more difficult.
"The courts are a lot faster here, as compared to Croatia," she said. "I just made a few adjustments to my game so that I could play on the faster hard courts."
Going into Thursday's conference tournament matchup with No. 49 San Diego State, Zmak is on a four-match winning streak.
Kolankiewicz said the streak is important for
Zmak's morale.
"The wins give Sandra a bunch of confidence going into conference," she said. "She's on a winning streak, and automatically, that puts you on a high."
Kolankiewicz said she looks forward to the future of UNM women's tennis because of players like Zmak.
"I think having three underclassmen in the top seven says a lot about the future," she said. "That, as well as our successful recruiting this year, gives us a lot to look forward to. I never try to make too many guesses about the future, but I feel pretty confident about
next season."
Women's tennis vs. SDSU
MWC Championships
Thursday, 2 p.m.
Colorado Springs, Colo.
