Earlier this month, junior Nicole Kempton and sophomore Alissia Kivi competed in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Atlantic Region Championship, where they advanced all the way to the finals during the four-match tournament.
ITA Atlantic Region Championship
“We came in as the number two seed,” Kempton said. “I was feeling the pressure a little bit.”
After what they call a rocky start to the beginning of their season, it did not show in their ITA performances.
“We really got our stuff together in time, which was great,” Kivi said.
The pair beat teams from West Chester University in the Round of 32 and the University of Charleston in the Round of 16.
Even being down in their quarterfinal match against Indiana University (Pa.), Kempton and Kivi were able to keep their focus by doing what they do best.
“[Kempton] needs to be loud, and I need to laugh on the court and have fun, then we play our best. Otherwise, it’s just negative energy,” Kivi said.
During those high-pressure matches, the tandem had confidence. Hands might have been shaking, but there was no doubt in either of their minds that they would make it, and they made it together.
As it would be for anyone, the game can be an overwhelming experience.
“I just get overwhelmed and then I start spiraling. And [Kempton], she’s pretty much the one person who can pull me out if it,” Kivi said.
Continuing to dominate in the quarter and semifinals, they went on to face Sara Martinez and Filippa Larsson from West Chester in the finals, which took place on Oct. 5.
After taking the opening set in a 6-2 fashion, Charleston edged The Rock’s doubles team with back-to-back wins to take the championship.
Despite the loss, the duo still received the opportunity to represent Slippery Rock in Rome, Georgia for the ITA Cup.
ITA Cup
“It was a great honor. This is just not an opportunity that comes around often,” Kempton said. “And I feel like we really earned that with how we played and how we’ve been playing.”
“Those teams and those players are the best of the best. So it is really cool to see how we fit in there,” Kivi said.
The Rome Tennis Center, a 57-court facility, hosted the ITA Cup, which spanned three days. 16 doubles teams from Division II had earned spots, whether that be by automatic qualification or at-large berths.
It was an opportunity for the team to represent their school on a national level.
Nothing changed for the pair in preparation for the tournament, but the energy was a bit different.
“There’s just no pressure going in. We have nothing to lose down there. We’ve never been down there before, so let’s make things happen,” Kempton said. “I took it as a fun opportunity to just show what we can do.”
They began their time at the cup with a match against the University of West Florida’s Carlota Verdu and Sandra Recuenco. The match ended in a close 6-4, 6-4 decision in favor of West Florida.
While the experience of the tournament was amazing for Kempton and Kivi, they said it was not without its challenges.
“We had to accept the fact that we were playing our best game ever, and we still did not win,” Kivi said.
But they had each other to lean on for support.
“[Kivi] really knows how to bring out the best in me. She’s such a caring and driven person, and her drive makes me want to drive even more,” Kempton said.
Their time at the ITA Cup did not end there. The two appeared in consolation matches for the remaining two days.
Friday’s match was against Emilia Gyorgy and Camila Garcia Morales from Midwestern State University, which ended in another loss, 7-5, 6-2.
“We had to remind ourselves that these are the best teams in the nation. It’s not going to be easy,” Kivi said. “Even if we play so good, we still might not win.”
The duo did not let the losses ruin their experience. The hard work they put in all season paid off, and they earned their spot in the tournament.
“Obviously, we’d like to win more down there, and we’re capable of that, but just being able to go shows me that all of our hard work really got us to that moment,” Kempton said.
Being there was a proud moment as well.
“We went through a lot last year and this year, just trying to get our game to the best level possible. So this felt like we achieved that,” Kivi said.
In a sport that is overlooked by many, Kempton and Kivi gave doubles play the attention it deserved by showing up and representing Slippery Rock as a nationally-ranked team.
In the end, the motivation and positive attitude paid off in their last consolation match against Central Oklahoma University’s Ayaka Koga and Pere Komada. After keeping their heads high, the tandem was able to close their time at the ITA Cup on a high note in 6-2, 6-4 fashion.
“Even though we didn’t go far in the brackets, it was still an accomplishment in our mind,” Kempton said.
Not only that, but Kempton and Kivi were one of the few doubles teams from Slippery Rock to gain a win in Georgia.
“It showed character, too. That, on the third day, we had already had two losses, and we still went out there and still fought, and we won,” Kivi said.
Through this experience, the two gained a lot that will help them both on and off the court.
“We have to accept sometimes that we’re not always going to win, but we have to find ways to up our game,” Kempton said. “We still have things to improve on, and we’re going to work on them as a team.”
As best friends, they are constantly trying to make each other better by being honest about game styles and being a strong figure for the other to lean on. That off-court relationship only improves their teamwork on court as they strive to be the best team they can be.
“We both have the same goal in mind. We want to compete, we want to get better,” Kempton said.
One thing the two have in common that helps their dynamic on the court is their motivation and goals, not just for tennis, but for life as well.
“[Kivi] always has a goal in mind. Like outside the court too, [she] wants to set up her life,” Kempton said.
Kivi could not agree more, “We’re two sides of the same coin.”
The pair’s combination of friendship and honesty is what continues to propel them in sport and in life.
