Respect is a fickle thing in sports, but when you’ve got it, you know you’ve got it.
Gretchen Schantz and the Pima women’s tennis team have it.
Proof is in the pudding, or, in the case of the Aztecs, it’s in their match Friday against New Mexico State University.
The NCAA Division I Aggies are in town to play the University of Arizona Wildcats, but with the reputation that Pima has earned, NMSU figured it could get a good workout in.
The coaches talked, a match was set, and the Aztecs’ bona fides were that much more real.
“I’m really excited they wanted to play us,” said Schantz, whose team opened the season with a 9-0 sweep of Imperial Valley on Saturday. “It says a lot about our program. They’re gonna play us first and then UA, and I was very excited when he reached out to play us. It’s similar to when we play the top (junior colleges) at nationals. It’s nothing I haven’t seen before.
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“The freshmen haven’t seen it, but the sophomores have.”
The Pima newcomers will get a crash course, and they will need it. There is no learning curve for a crew that Schantz is expecting much from.
Two freshmen have seized the early season No. 1 and 2 spots for the Aztecs, as Ironwood Ridge product Kelsey Brown and Catalina Foothills grad Samantha Ruth opened the season in prime position.
This is nothing new for coach Schantz, who is used to putting her pups into pressure situations in a hurry.
“I have such a small team — everybody is always contributing,” Schantz said.“Pretty much everyone is in the lineup. You start as a freshman, and you’re all-in. You don’t have the luxury of a four-year school, where you can get them ready for the limelight.”
The Aztecs return three impressive sophomores — Ema Hernandez, Stephanie Nickles and Noelle Karp — from a team that advanced to the NJCAA nationals last season.
Schantz expects big things from the group, before they’re on their way.
“It’s such a quick turnover,” she said. “You get them for two years, and that’s great, and then they’re gone.
“It’s usually half-and-half, so I’m used to always building the team. We get the new kids, get the freshmen going, and it helps the sophomores to go through it again anyways. I like it that way — everyone gets to start fresh.”
