Anni Amalnathan embracing the pressure that comes with leading Saint Joseph girls tennis
The senior star wants to make sure that her final go around for the tradition-rich Huskies is an enjoyable one.
Advertisement
More: HS Tennis: Who are the top prep girls tennis teams this season?
Last spring: Saint Joseph girls tennis claims elusive state title with 3-2 decision over Fishers
"This is the last time together with my high school friends, and I want to make sure to enjoy it and have fun," Amalnathan said. "I just want to go out there and be the best that I can be. I also want what is best for our team."
A decorated career
Amalnathan has known nothing but success at St. Joe. She posted a 27-1 mark at No. 1 doubles as a freshman in 2022. Anni teamed with older sister, Ashi, to go 18-0 and win the No. 1 doubles state championship in that season.
Advertisement
She then was 28-1 in 2023, going 19-0 at No. 3 singles and 9-1 at No. 2 singles. Amalnathan was 28-1 at No. 3 singles in 2024, playing behind senior stars Molly Bellia and Ashi as the Huskies won the team state championship.
Amalnathan has moved into the No. 1 singles spot this season for her team. She admits that there are more eyeballs on her now to succeed for a squad that was 77-9-1 the past four seasons and has been to the State Finals each of the past four years, with runner up finishes in both 2021 and 2023.
"There is definitely pressure," Amalnathan said. "Molly and Ashi were definitely great players and definitely made a name for themselves. Now, I'm the captain and I'm in a new spot at No. 1 and playing the top players on every team.
"I have a lot of belief in myself and that's what I need to focus on. I need to learn from my losses and keep looking forward."
Advertisement
Amalnathan started the year 4-0 before losing three of four matches against top flight competition. She lost versus the top player from No. 4 Westfield April 25 and then to players from No. 6 Fishers and No. 10 Columbus North in the loaded Park Tudor Invitational April 26.
Longtime Saint Joseph coach Bill Mountford isn't concerned about the losses.
"Anni will be fine," said Mountford the day after his team placed third in the Park Tudor event. "Honestly, this was a bump in the road. She did not play her best and lost to some very good players.
"Is Anni one of the best players in the state? Yes she is. She knows what it takes and will go back to work and put in the time on her game. She has all the shots and the game to do it. She just needs to get her mojo back."
Advertisement
Amalnathan bounced back after the tough go down South by winning Monday versus Elkhart and Tuesday versus Culver Academy. The Huskies, who were ranked No. 15 in the latest coaches poll, are 6-1 through Wednesday's matches. An expected showdown with rival Penn Thursday, May 1 was postponed to Tuesday, May 6, due to weather.
"Playing at No. 1 singles is a whole different ballgame, and Anni is learning that," Mountford stated. "It makes a difference when you are playing every team's best player every match.
Then-Saint Joseph junior Anni Amalnathan pumps her fist after scoring a point during a girls tennis semistate match against Carmel Saturday, May 25, 2024, at Culver Academies in Culver.
"The thing about Anni is that she knows her way around the court. She has a complete game. It's just all about her confidence. She beat a good player (in the win at Culver Academy) and played a lot better. It was fun to see her figure it out."
Advertisement
Amalnathan admitted that she had almost decided not to play collegiate tennis until opting to commit to Colorado State.
"I contemplated quitting tennis and just playing club in college," Amalnathan explained. "But then I found I loved the game. I'm so excited now to play for Colorado State. I fell in love with the environment there on my visit and the coaches there are just the sweetest people."
'How am I still alive?' Concord senior reflects on crash that nearly killed her, recovery
More: Here are the best South Bend area high school girls sports performances, April 28 - May 3
Amalnathan did note that she does miss playing with her sister and Bellia. Ashi is now playing at South Carolina State, while Bellia is at the United States Naval Academy. Bellia played No. 1 singles each of the past four years and was the individual state champion in 2021.
Advertisement
"Ashi and Molly were the best role models, and I learned a lot from both of them," Amalnathan said. "Molly had grit and perseverance and never gave up. Ashi was able to bounce back from tough things."
Amalnathan has been around the game her entire life. Her father Arul currently teaches tennis in South Carolina. He used to be a teaching pro at the South Bend Racquet Club.
Amalnathan is keeping things in perspective as the Huskies chase another long postseason run starting later this month. She will also try to navigate through the No. 1 singles tournament as well.
"The obvious goal is to win state," Amalnathan said. "That's always the goal. But tennis isn't everything."
Advertisement
Mountford praised the makeup of his top player on a team that boasts some strong underclassmen like sophomore Libby Yergler and freshman Coco Burfien.
"Anni is definitely a team kid," Mountford said. "She has a great attitude. The right attitude. She's a tennis rat and a bright kid."
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Anni Amalnathan is making sure to enjoy her final prep tennis season
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
2 days ago
- USA Today
Two former Washington Huskies named to AUSL All-Defensive team
Two former Huskies have won end-of-season honors in the inaugural season of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League. Outfielder Jadelyn Allchin and utility player Baylee Klingler were named to the All-Defense team on Wednesday as two of the ten honorees. Allchin was one of five Talons players named to the list, including Defensive Player of the Year Hannah Flippen. Klingler was one of three Blaze players to make the team. Allchin, who completed her college career at UCLA in 2024 after four seasons at Washington, recorded 37 putouts with a fielding percentage of .974 while mostly playing left field for the 18-6 Talons. Klingler, who started all 197 games of her Huskies career from 2020-23 after transferring from Texas A&M, had 37 putouts and recorded 4 double plays with a fielding percentage of .957 while primarily playing third base for the 7-17 Blaze. The two have had very different paths to the field this season. Klingler was drafted as a core player in the eighth round by the Blaze in January and recorded two home runs in her first six games to start the year, but hit a bit of a slump in mid-June associated with a head injury that she recovered from during the midseason break. When the Blaze returned for a sold-out series between Huskies alums Klingler and Sis Bates of the Volts starting July 11, Klingler snapped her cold streak, recording an RBI in all three games on Montlake. She finished with a .357/.392/.571 slash line in 20 games with 6 doubles and 3 home runs. Allchin, meanwhile, began the season in the Reserve Athlete Pool as one of the on-call fill-ins for the 16 standard roster spots for the league's four teams. She was assigned to the Talons on May 22 to fill in for other players arriving late for the season, but stuck around as an injury replacement for a variety of players. Allchin opened the season with a six-game hitting streak, finishing the year with the third-highest on-base percentage in the league and a league-leading 8 stolen bases without being caught a single time. Even so, Allchin spent three days back in the Reserve Athlete Pool last week between appearances for the Talons as their core 16 members were all available from July 16-19. Now, after a winding season for both women, they've earned league-wide honors. The AUSL Championship series begins Saturday between Allchin's Talons, who also roster Husky alum Ali Aguilar and the Bandits, the only team in the league without a former Washington player.
Boston Globe
2 days ago
- Boston Globe
Sunday Sitdown: Yirsy Quéliz chased her basketball dreams from the Dominican Republic to St. Mary's to FIBA AmeriCup
A rising junior for the Huskies, Quéliz has averaged 8.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.2 steals per game while starting 42 of 53 games over two seasons. In seven appearances for the Dominican Republic national team this summer, she contributed 5.1 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game. Advertisement 'The fact that she continues to thrive on the court and in the classroom is a tribute to her work ethic,' Newhall said. 'She Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Related : We chatted with Quéliz to learn about her basketball journey. (Editor's note: This Q&A has been lightly edited for length and clarity.) How did you first discover basketball? What was a typical day like in the Dominican Republic? I started playing basketball when I was 4 years old because my parents are huge fans. They Advertisement I would go to school in the morning, from 7 to 1, then I would go play basketball at my club, which is three streets over from my house. I would do that for two hours, then I would go home and play with the boys. That was my every day in the Dominican Republic. Yirsy Queliz will never forget her roots. Courtesy What led you to come to Massachusetts, and what was the adjustment like? I've always dreamed of doing high school and playing basketball here in the United States. I saw a bunch of little girls that are just like me getting more opportunities here than over there. I realized what I had back home and what I have here, there's a huge difference. If I stayed home, I would just be playing club basketball and not be what I'm doing now. The schools back home don't allow girls to play tournaments like that. How did you overcome the language barrier and start to feel more comfortable ? I only knew a couple words when I came to the country, but enough words that would help me communicate and tell me what I needed. I remember going back to my room and studying English a lot. It was so hard not to understand what other people were telling me, and I also wanted to communicate with them. I was very frustrated with myself. Every day, after my day was over, I would go back to my room and just learn; listen to anything in English. I only spoke Spanish with my parents. I started talking, not fluently, but I was able to say words and sentences a month after [I moved here]. The food is different, too. We have a lot of rice, beans, and chicken. I struggled with it a little bit at first, but I got used to it. Advertisement Yirsy Queliz led St. Mary's to a trio of state championships. Erin Clark/Globe Staff Can you reflect on your St. Mary's career and what you enjoyed most about the experience? St. Mary's was one of the best experiences I've ever had. I didn't think my high school career was going to be like that. I'm very proud of what I did individually, and what we did as a group with Coach Newhall, Kellyn [Preira] and Niya [Morgen] by my side. I got to meet a lot of cool people that I still talk to nowadays. It was great overall. Related : What was your recruiting process like, and what led you to Northeastern? My recruiting process started when I was playing AAU. As soon as I got the offer from Northeastern, I knew from the jump that I wanted to go there. Yirsey Queliz has started 42 gamers in two seasons for Northeastern. Courtesy Can you describe how the FIBA opportunity came to be? Representing my country was one of my biggest, biggest dreams of my whole entire life. I've always wanted to do that. As a kid, I saw a bunch of players from the DR representing the country. I was like, 'I want to be there.' We were practicing two months before, and I was just giving my all to see if I could make the team. When my name was called, I was super excited and very proud of myself. Literally, a dream came true. It was a whole different experience. We got to meet a lot of new people from different countries. The basketball was very competitive and very high level. We got to play against the United States, which is crazy to me. I never thought I would be playing against them. They had a lot of girls who are playing high-level Division 1. We got to play with two WNBA players, including Kamilla Cardoso of the Chicago Sky. I got to take a picture with her. Meeting other people from different countries was also the best part about it. Advertisement The game of basketball has taken Yirsy Queliz on a memorable journey. Courtesy How crazy was it to have such a unique full-circle moment and represent your country on a grand stage? It's really crazy. I still can't believe it. I was just a little girl dreaming, not knowing that it could happen. It did happen, and I still don't think it's real, but I did that and I'm very proud of myself. I know my family is also proud of me. I was just a little girl from the Dominican Republic who had dreams. They came true. Sunday Sitdown archives Trevor Hass can be reached at
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
North Carolina's Bill Belichick notes biggest differences in coaching college players vs. NFL players
Bill Belichick detailed some of the things he's noticed in his months working with college players compared to his time in the NFL on Thursday at ACC media day. The new North Carolina coach was asked about the differences between coaching college players and professional players and noted how quickly college players show improvement compared to players in the NFL. 'The great thing about working with the college players is just the growth and the development that we've seen,' Belichick said in his news conference. ' … Saw a little bit of that last year when I was at Washington with [Huskies coach Jedd Fisch] and [current North Carolina defensive coordinator Steve Belichick] out there. To see how much the players improve from the spring to the start of training camp and this year of course we haven't started training camp but through the course of the spring the amount of improvement our players made in those 15 days — most of which were in pads was something that you never saw in the NFL because you could never wear pads in the offseason.' In case you were wondering, Belichick was not asked about his relationship with Jordon Hudson during his time at the main podium. Belichick, who spent the 2024 season out of coaching, was hired in December to replace Mack Brown at North Carolina despite never coaching at the college level. Belichick got his first coaching job in the NFL in the 1970s as a low-level assistant and worked his way up through the ranks in the NFL. He's just the second Super Bowl-winning coach to coach a college football team after winning a Super Bowl. The other, Bill Walsh, was in his second stint at Stanford after coaching the Cardinal before joining the San Francisco 49ers. 'On the college end, you're right, the players are a little bit younger and less skilled, sometimes that's an advantage — there are fewer bad habits to break," Belichick said. "But I would say also the players are much more receptive to coaching. They haven't had as long with the way they were doing it through college career, maybe even through their pro years where they started develop some habits that they were comfortable with and they were a little harder to change. I'd say our players, they've been very receptive to everything we've asked them to do.' Belichick has brought in numerous coaches with NFL experience for his coaching staff. Steve Belichick coached with him in New England and offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens is a longtime NFL assistant who was the head coach of the Cleveland Browns in 2019. The six-time Super Bowl winner also noted that his roster has 70 players who were not on the team in 2024. North Carolina, which opens the season in Week 1 on Labor Day against TCU, brought in the No. 8 transfer portal class in the country according to On3. The Tar Heels had 41 players transfer out after Brown's departure, and 42 arrived, including South Alabama QB Gio Lopez, Troy offensive tackle Daniel King and Boise State linebacker Andrew Simpson.
