Posted 4:03 am Sunday, May 02, 2010
Tyler's Bulls Becomes Key Member Of TJC Tennis Team
By JOE BUIE
Staff Writer
Tyler Junior College tennis player Casey Bulls has gone from having little competition in high school to having some of the best in the nation on her own team.
Staff Writer
Tyler Junior College tennis player Casey Bulls has gone from having little competition in high school to having some of the best in the nation on her own team.
"Getting to hit with all the different girls from around the world has really helped me become a better player," Bulls said of a team with players from Ukraine, China, Greece, Poland and Israel.
In fact, it's an accomplishment just to be able to crack TJC's starting lineup this season. The Apache Ladies are ranked No. 1 entering the NJCAA Division I women's national tournament in Tucson, Ariz., and they have three of the top six players in the singles rankings.
Bulls is ranked 47th. The sophomore will play Flight 5 singles at the national tournament, just like last year, but TJC head coach John Peterson says the comparisons end there.
"Casey Bulls last year, she's not in this lineup," Peterson said. "She's not even in the top eight. It was toward the end of October … something started to click for her and she gained confidence. She always had the ability."
Bulls has a singles record of 28-7 this season, with all her losses coming against four-year schools. Last year she lost in the quarterfinal round at nationals -- "the nerves got the best of me," Bulls said -- and TJC finished third as a team.
Both are favored to bring home national titles this time. The tournament runs today through Thursday.
"Last year, playing No. 5, I expected myself to win and I put too much pressure on myself and I forgot to just have fun," Bulls said. "I was thinking too many matches ahead. This year I'm going to go in just looking to have a good time, have fun with my team and have a great end to the season. And, hopefully, I can get a national title."
The new, relaxed, no-pressure approach for Bulls is partly a result of TJC having such a juggernaut team. The Apache Ladies are 24-2 on the season, with the only defeats coming against NCAA Division I Lamar and Northwestern State.
"It helps to have a very good team that always wins," Bulls said of taking the pressure off.
Bulls is right-handed but she hits two-handed on both sides. She calls herself "pretty aggressive and this year I've learned to be aggressive but consistent at the same time.
"Last year you would have said I made way too many mistakes. This year I feel like I've become a lot more consistent and I really work the point."
Asked to rate how hard she hits the ball, Bulls said she has good pace for someone 5-foot-5.
"The top four girls hit the ball very hard, and I'm not as big as them," said Bulls, who has already earned a full tennis scholarship to Incarnate Word in San Antonio.
Smoke Signals:
Bulls' brother, Caleb, is a former TJC netter who also played at TCU. He graduated from UT Tyler and now attends Texas Tech Law School.
Bulls' brother, Caleb, is a former TJC netter who also played at TCU. He graduated from UT Tyler and now attends Texas Tech Law School.
