Walk-on Whittecar helps ESU to victory over Neb.-Omaha
By Jesse Newell
Originally published 01:49 p.m., April 7, 2008
Updated 01:49 p.m., April 7, 2008
Emporia State’s Stacia Whittecar still has got it.
Even after three years. Even though she didn’t really have an offseason to prepare.
“Some days,” Whittecar said, “I surprise myself.”
The fifth-year senior continued her impressive season on Saturday, posting a 7-5, 6-4 victory over Nebraska-Omaha’s Jenna Nielsen in ESU’s 7-2 team victory over the Mavericks.
Whittecar wasn’t even supposed to be playing tennis this year. She thought her competitive career had ended three years ago at Cowley County Community College, and she had transferred to ESU content on finishing up her degree.
That was all before one phone call changed everything.
Just before the season started, ESU’s Kirsten Ford suffered an injury that would limit her ability to play both singles and doubles, leaving the Lady Hornets with an open spot on their roster.
ESU needed someone to fill in the vacancy, and Molly Bowman knew just the people.
Bowman, who had played two years at Cowley, kept in touch with her former teammates Whittecar and Shelly Skiles. Both were attending ESU.
Whittecar received a phone call as she was heading on a trip to Texas.
“I don’t think if it was just for me,” Whittecar said, “that I would have done it.”
After some convincing, though, Whittecar and Skiles both decided to join the team as walk-ons.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Whittecar improved her spring record to 5-2 with her victory Saturday.
“It was a tough fight,” Whittecar said. “It’s hard sometimes to play against girls who don’t hit with any pace.
“I was mentally in it, and it went my way.”
Bowman said she was amazed with the progress that her former teammates had made in just a few weeks.
“For those girls to jump in during the middle of the season and do what we do is impressive,” Bowman said. “I couldn’t even do that.”
ESU was able to bounce back on Saturday after falling 5-4 to Southwest Baptist the day before.
The Lady Hornets took No. 1 and No. 3 singles victories over UNO, then nearly swept the singles matches.
Natalie Villaflor had the match-clincher, posting a 6-0, 6-0 win over Katie Spahn in No. 2 singles.
“I think we really geared up,” ESU coach John Cayton said. “I think the girls had a bad taste in their mouth from (Friday).”
Bowman came through with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Sara Bredfeldt at No. 4 doubles.
The senior said she became a little more focused after a couple of questionable out calls from her opponent in the second set.
“In tennis, there’s always going to be close calls,” Bowman said. “Those shots just make me want to win the point even more and try even harder.”
Amanda Morris (No. 3) and Audrey Sherman (No. 5) had the other singles wins for ESU.
The ESU women (10-2, 1-1 MIAA) will face Fort Hays State on Saturday in Hays.
For Whittecar, it will be one more match in a career she never expected to continue.
“It’s my last chance,” Whittecar said, “and I’m just happy I took it.”
Saturday at Milton Courts
Emporia State 7, Nebraska-Omaha 2
Singles
1. Rachel Faulk (UNO) def. Marcela Bayon (ESU), 6-3, 6-3
2. Natalie Villaflor (ESU) def. Katie Spahn (UNO), 6-0, 6-0
3. Amanda Morris (ESU) def. Kylie Roe (UNO), 6-3, 6-1
4. Molly Bowman (ESU) def. Sara Bredfeldt (UNO), 6-1, 6-1
5. Audrey Sherman (ESU) def. Kelsey Haas (UNO), 6-3, 1-6, 7-5
6. Stacia Whittecar (ESU) def. Jenna Nielsen (UNO), 7-5, 6-4
Doubles
1. Bayon/Villaflor (ESU) def. Roe/Faulk (UNO), 9-7
2. Spahn/Haas (UNO) def. Bowman/Ford (ESU), 8-5
3. Sherman/Morris (ESU) def. Nielsen/Bredfeldt (UNO), 8-0
Records — Nebraska-Omaha 7-2, ESU 10-2.