Mizzou tennis is beginning to see the results of six weeks of work come together on the court. After spending much of the fall building new habits and learning how to compete as a team, the Tigers continued their progress with a strong showing at the 49er Invite in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Mizzou finished the two-day tournament with 12 wins across singles and doubles against players from Charlotte, Clemson, Maryland and Rutgers. The Tigers also recorded their second consecutive tournament with a positive
record, giving the team another sign that its work is translating into competition.
The tournament opened Thursday evening with four single-set doubles matches, and Mizzou won all four. Freshmen Irina Anghel and Danielle Chapman defeated Clemson’s Neilson-Gatenby and Sophie Clayton 6-0, while Daria Budko and Mariana Higuita Barraza earned a 6-4 victory against Maryland’s Mila Mulready and Anastasiia Sorska.
The Tigers carried that momentum into Friday, adding two doubles victories and two singles wins during the first round. Chapman and Budko each earned their first collegiate singles victories against Rutgers opponents, giving both players another milestone during the fall season.
Mizzou saved another strong stretch for the final round, winning six consecutive matches to close the tournament. Chapman earned her second singles victory of the weekend in straight sets against Charlotte, while Budko battled through three sets for her second win of the invite, and Anghel and Higuita Barraza each earned their first singles victories.
For associate head coach Manny Raga, who traveled with the team to Charlotte, the results were a reflection of the work the players have put in since the start of the fall.
“We are building in the right direction,” Raga said. “All the hard work they have been putting into their tennis the last six weeks is paying off.”
Raga also pointed to the way the players represented Mizzou throughout the tournament, emphasizing their competitiveness and discipline. Those qualities have become an important part of the team’s development as the Tigers continue learning how to rely on one another during competition.
“Really proud to see the girls representing Mizzou the right way,” Raga said. “Competing hard for every point, playing disciplined and smart tennis.”
Head coach Robin Goodman has noticed the same growth as Mizzou has put together positive results in consecutive tournaments. The wins matter, but Goodman said the larger development has been seeing the players learn how to compete for each other and maintain their effort throughout every point.
“Great tournament again for us,” Goodman said. “Two tournaments back to back where we’ve left with a positive record. The girls are learning how to compete as a team and give all they have for every point.”
The 49er Invite provided another checkpoint for a team that is still developing its identity, with several players earning first collegiate victories and the Tigers consistently finding ways to finish matches. After six weeks of preparation, the progress is beginning to become visible when Mizzou faces outside competition.
The Tigers will have another opportunity to measure that progress at the ITA Central Regional in Memphis, Tennessee, from Oct. 14-19. With nearly two weeks before the next competition, Mizzou can use the time to continue building on the habits that have helped produce two positive tournaments and carry that momentum into the next stage of its fall season.
Columns and Courts will be back Wednesday with more insight into Mizzou tennis. Tigers Top Spin will be back next Monday.
