Chicago State women’s tennis earns first-ever NCAA bid
CHICAGO – The Chicago State women’s tennis team is getting ready to take another swing at history this weekend.
The Cougars are set to play #3 Michigan in Ann Arbor Saturday after earning their first-ever bid to the NCAA Tournament.
“It’s still kind of surreal. It’s still kind of unbelievable, so I’m taking it all in,” explained head coach Jack Barton. “I think after we get done this weekend, I’ll be able to sit back and think about it, but right now you’re still in the moment. You do have those wow moments of like, ‘Wow. Wow! We’re here.'”
“If someone had told me that we were going to come all this way and be champions, I don’t know if I would believe it,” remarked grad student star Katarina Dukic.
The surprise stems from Barton’s squad’s 3-9 start to the season. The Cougars rallied from that point on, winning seven straight and 13 of 14 to clinch a share of their first conference title before eventually becoming Horizon League champions for the first time in program history.
“I think that the girls had a lot of grit and determination in them,” Barton noted. “I think it was based on a decision. You can choose to be happy. You can choose to be sad. You can choose to fight. You can choose to lay down. I think after the losses that we had, I think they made the decision that we’re going to keep fighting because we’re still that close. This shows hard work pays off.”
“This was an incredible journey, We started from the bottom. Came to the top. What a way to finish. I’m super grateful for my team, the coach,” Dukic added. “It was an amazing journey. I wouldn’t change a thing.”
“For us to be able to have anyone – a Chicago State team – say that they are going to the NCAA tournament, that’s a huge accomplishment. I want them to realize that.
“The sky is the limit. Now, they’re on a rocket ship.”
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