Alabama
Auburn, LSU, Mississippi State, Ole Miss
Crimson Tide Duo Finds Confidence as Women’s Tennis Closes Fall Season at Home this Weekend
10/22/2020 4:02:00 PM | Women's Tennis
Freshmen Anna Parkhomenko and Vanesa Nikolovova and the rest of the Crimson Tide host Auburn, LSU, Mississippi State and Ole Miss in Tuscaloosa in the second SEC Challenge of the fall
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Although Alabama freshmen Anna Parkhomenko and Vanesa Nikolovova both come to Tuscaloosa from around the world, both have found their place here with the Crimson Tide.
Parkhomenko hails from Ukraine and Nikolova the Czech Republic, but both experienced the same feeling of home while visiting the Capstone and made the decision that they wanted to continue their tennis careers competing as members of the Crimson Tide.
"When I was visiting, I just felt so good here." Nikolovova said. "Even on my first trip, it felt like home and everybody was so kind. The people here are willing to help you, the coaches actually take care of you and the campus is beautiful."
A long way from home, both have relied on their teammates and the UA support system to help transition into this new chapter in their lives.
"It's like a new family here for me," Parkhomenko said. "I love the coaches. They are very helpful and kind and very understanding. I also get to spend a lot of time with Vanesa, we have a lot of classes together and train together so that has been really helpful."
While Parkhomenko and Nikolovova are adjusting to the new environment of collegiate tennis, both enjoy the team environment and being able to compete for something bigger than just themselves.
"Back home I was an individual and went to practice and did workouts alone, everything was by myself," Nikolovova said. "This is the first time I have had a group to workout with, so it is completely different and motivates you to work harder, I really like it."
The duo's first taste of collegiate tennis came two weeks ago at the SEC Challenge. Now two tournaments in, they are settling in and are ready for more. Parkhomenko won her first doubles match with Alba Cortina Pou, while Nikolovova closed out the Challenge with a singles win against Georgia's Elena Christofi.
"The first win gave me confidence, I feel like I needed it," said Nikolovova. "I feel much more confident on the court and I am not afraid to play aggressively."
Parkhomenko shared a similar feeling of being more settled in after playing her first tournaments with the Tide.
"I was very nervous, but I felt much better after playing," Parkhomenko said. "I played with Alba, I love her, and she is so great on the court and just as a person."
Both women will be back in action this weekend, as the Tide gears up to close out their fall season at home with the second SEC Challenge Oct. 23-25.
"I am so proud to be a part of this" said Nikolovova. "I'm ready to play for my team and not just for myself."
Alabama's fall season closes this weekend as it hosts Auburn, LSU, Ole Miss and Mississippi State in the second of two SEC Challenges. Matches will get underway at 10:30 a.m. on Friday and Saturday and 9 a.m. on Sunday. The matches will be streamed live on RollTide.com.
Due to health and safety considerations in addition to the current guidelines, attendance at Alabama tennis home competitions is limited to guests of student-athletes and each team's coaching staff if the matches are played outdoors. If matches are played indoors, there will be no spectators allowed.
Get all the latest information on Alabama women's tennis by following AlabamaWTN on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. General athletic news can also be found at UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and AlabamaAthletics on Facebook.
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