Alabama women’s tennis is set to play its spring season opener on Friday, facing off against North Alabama and Jackson State in a doubleheader.
“I think we have a lot of girls that are very excited for the season, and they’re ready to compete,” head coach Jonatan Berhane said. “They’re hungry, they’re motivated, and not making the NCAA’s last year is a bigger carrot in front of them that they’re trying to chase.”
Alabama concluded its 2025 spring season with a 13-13 overall record and a 4-11 mark in SEC play, falling short of qualifying for the NCAA tournament.
Performing at a high level to withstand SEC competition is on Alabama’s checklist for this spring season in hopes of making the NCAA.
“It’s the toughest conference in the country. You have 7 teams in the top 10, if you look at the universal tennis rating, so it’s about staying disciplined, competing extremely hard, and being able to sustain that for a long period of time,” Berhane said.
Last spring, doubles shone through as one of Alabama’s consistent strengths amidst a tough season.
Maria Andrienko, paired with Maria Martinez Vaquero, who has since graduated, consistently put up strong doubles performances, ending with a 9-3 record.
“Me and Maria just had our chemistry. She would set me up perfectly, and I had the opportunity to close the points,” Andrienko said. “Some of the girls that are already on the team have that type of skill, so I am sure that this is going to be a better season with doubles than the last one.”
With Alabama only having three returners for this spring season — senior Maria Andrienko, senior Klara Milicevic and sophomore Zara Larke — the team has been almost completely reset.
Five new players, one transfer from NC State and four freshmen, have been welcomed to the team to fill in the remaining spots.
Four of the five newcomers competed in the fall while representing Alabama. Freshman Karla Bartel competed in the International Tennis Federation circuit instead, making this spring her first season in crimson.
Along with new players, the team also welcomed a new assistant coach in the fall, Cristina Sanchez-Quintanar. Most recently, she was an assistant coach at Texas, where she helped lead them to the NCAA super regionals while putting up a 41-17 record.
Despite a younger, fresher team, Andrienko said she doesn’t really have to take on “that big of a role” in regard to leadership and describes her teammates as “mature.”
“They know what they’re doing, they know why they’re here, so our team is maybe young, but it’s really strong,” Andrienko said.
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