After an injury-plagued 2017-18 campaign, the Bradley tennis team is looking forward to pushing the restart button this season. This year’s team is reloaded with young talent, featuring six underclassmen, senior Malini Wijesinghe and junior Natalia Barberry.
With youth brings a lot of untapped potential for the Braves. They had a strong recruiting class this year, one of the best in Bradley history, with players coming from as far as Canada and Japan.
With a younger team, veteran leadership is crucial. Wijesinghe claims she has confidence in her teammates, both as leaders and on the court.
“I don’t [feel pressure as the only senior] because we have such good freshmen coming in,” Wijesinghe said. “We just have a lot of potential and a lot of talent on our team.”
Veterans also have to show their younger counterparts the ropes. Eventually, Wijesinghe will be gone and freshman Nikki Perlwitz (Weston, Florida) Mayu Tezuka (Tokyo, Japan) and Bozana Lojpur (Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada) will become the leaders.
As Wijesinghe’s time as a Brave winds down, new faces will take on important roles for Bradley tennis. The Braves had a nationally ranked recruiting class this year and Perlwitz is the first four-star recruit in Bradley history.
The foundation for success has been strongly set down, both on and off the court. Now it’s up to the underclassmen and a few veterans to bring Bradley tennis up the national ranks.
Wijesinghe has been a massive part of the Bradley tennis program over the past three years. She saw significant playing time as a freshman and has not relinquished her spot on the court.
She was also recognized on a national level at this year’s US Open, where she was honored with ITA (Intercollege Tennis Association) Arthur Ashe Award. The award is given annually to the college tennis player at each level that has most exemplified sportsmanship and leadership combined with academic and tennis-related success.
The season begins today at the Northern Illinois Huskie Invitational in DeKalb, Illinois. The Braves play at home from Sept. 21 to Sept. 23 at the Bradley Invitational.
