CSUN’s Waiting Game Conns One More Opponent

Missy Conn hasn’t overwhelmed anybody with her physical ability this week at the NCAA Division II women’s tennis championships at Cal State Northridge. But her perseverance has won over more than a few new admirers for the Cal State Northridge junior.

As one observer put it Thursday: “Playing Missy is like Chinese water torture. She just drips and drips on you, and before you know it, you’ve drowned.”

Mary Holycross, of Cal Poly Pomona, became the latest victim of Conn’s trickery. With her patient, slice-and-dice game, Conn, who is unseeded, upset the No. 6 seeded player in Thursday’s quarterfinals, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4. The victory earned Conn a berth in today’s semifinals.

At 10 a.m., she’ll meet Northern Colorado’s Nancy Roe, who also is unseeded. Roe can expect more of the same from Conn, an upset winner in Wednesday’s second round over top-seeded Christina Bokelund of Southern Illinois Edwardsville.

Conn’s patient style also paid dividends in doubles competition. She and partner Susan Campbell reached the semifinals with a 7-5, 6-3 quarterfinal win over Mary Ann Hodges and Mary Beth Huewe of Cal State Bakersfield.

Conn rarely takes a full swing with her oversized racket, instead chopping at the ball, slicing it and placing it with precision.

“Usually, I’m a little more aggressive than I have been, but I’ve gotten into such a groove,” Conn said.

Although Conn said she’s “exhausted” after playing 11 matches in four days this week, her opponents seem more physically drained than she when they walk off the court. Her passive style seems to unnerve them.

“If you’re not patient,” Holycross said, “it’s frustrating.”

Against big hitters, such as Bokelund and Holycross, Conn waits for mistakes.

“I get everything back and I’m always on the defensive. And then they make an error because they get so frustrated,” she said.

Although she is skilled enough at the net to be seeded No. 3 (along with Campbell) in the doubles draw, Conn almost never leaves the base line in singles. Hers is a touch game.

“I only go in when I have to go in,” she said. “I play more mentally than I do physically. I have a game plan in my mind. I’m working out a strategy while they’re pounding balls back.”

While Holycross kept pounding Thursday, Conn kept slicing back.

“The difference was, she got every ball back and I hit the ball out or into the net before she did,” Holycross said.

Actually, that wasn’t the case every time, but in the third set, Conn broke Holycross’ serve four times. Most of Conn’s points were gained on unforced errors by her opponent.

“If she hits a slice off of my topspin shot, it drops below the net, so I’m limited to the shots I can hit,” Holycross said. “So, in effect, she gets the upper hand with that slice.”

Most of Conn’s teammates play the same way.

“Their players don’t look really nice out there hitting the ball,” Holycross said, “but they win.”

Pointing toward her head, Holycross said: “The thing is, with tennis, it’s all up here.”

And, Holycross seemed to say, that’s where Conn had the edge.

“She was so determined and so tough,” Holycross said.

Notes

Today’s other semifinal pairing: No. 2 Sandra Elliott of Northern Colorado vs. No. 3 Edna Olivarez of Cal State Los Angeles at 10 a.m. . . . In doubles, CSUN’s Missy Conn and Susan Campbell meet unseeded Julie Gillespie and Christine Ryan, Cal Poly Pomona’s No. 2 doubles team, at noon. The team of Elliott and Nancy Roe of Northern Colorado, the No. 1 seed and defending Division II champion, will play Mary Holycross and Xenia Anastasiadou, Cal Poly Pomona’s No. 1 doubles team and the No. 4 seed, in the other semifinal, also at noon. . . . CSUN’s No. 2 doubles team of Karen Frawley and Kelly Grattan lost in the first round of the 16-team draw Thursday to Donna Sykes and Carol Tabor of Abilene Christian, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4. . . . Saturday’s singles final starts at 10 a.m., with the doubles final starting at noon.