USTA Section: Texas
Roster:
Carlos Aguilar - Senior
Andres Corredor - Sophomore
Leigh Holder - Senior
Jacob Imam - Freshman
Taylor Little - Sophomore
Kayla Panozzo - Junior
Brian Schwarzlose - Senior
Beena Shah - Junior
Adam Telatovich - Senior
Teams Defeated: Texas, Texas State, Texas A&M - Corpus Christi
USTA.com: When did you discover that you had the talent to win as a team?
Since the beginning of the school year, we knew we had a good team that had the potential to qualify for Nationals. We qualified for Nationals last year, and most of our team members from last year are still with us this year.
USTA.com: How does your team unwind after a day of matches?
We try to get everyone together and go out to dinner as a team.
USTA.com: Tell us a bit about how your school is unique?
Little known fact: Dr. Pepper was invented near Baylor.
USTA.com: How does your team fundraise? Do you serve your local community in a meaningful way?
Our team’s funds come mostly from the dues each of our members pay. The varsity team lets us use its facilities, so we don’t have to pay to use courts.
While our team does not organize a lot of community service activities, our members have done a lot of community service by their own initiative: They lead church youth groups, build homes in Waco with Baylor’s "Stepping Out" program and do various service activities with the service fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega.
USTA.com: If you were to list three specific things that need to happen in order to win a National Championship, they would be:
- Practice more often before the tournament.
- Get in better shape before the tournament.
- Support each other during our matches.
USTA.com: How do you exhibit school spirit?
Our team proudly wears Baylor clothing to our matches. We develop some cheers that Baylor students learn at freshman orientation, the same that varsity players use at their matches.
USTA.com: Share with us a funny story about your team or team member(s).
Last year we qualified for Tennis On Campus Nationals, fitting 10 or 11 people in a small minivan for the drive. After our matches we would pile into the minivan, smelling awful and feeling cramped up, but we had a lot of fun doing it anyways.
USTA.com Share with us an uplifting story about your team or team member(s).
Two years ago at Nationals we were playing our first-round match, which was decided in a sudden death match point. One of our seniors, Carlos, then a sophomore, received a hard serve with a really hard return that won us the point and the match. After the point, Carlos didn’t realize that he had won the match for us, because he didn’t know it was a sudden death point.
He said he probably wouldn’t have hit the ball as hard if he had known.