UCSD’s recruiting power increased dramatically two years ago with its move to National Collegiate Athletic Association’s Division II. Two years later, the women’s tennis team is reaping the benefits with a core lineup of four sophomores — one of whom is Kristina Jansen — who has particularly helped the Tritons become one of the most dominant teams in the nation with depth seen in few other programs.
Jansen, a creative writing major at Eleanor Roosevelt College, has amassed a 40-4 record, combining singles and doubles this season to help the Tritons to a 20-3 record with a perfect 8-0 mark in CCAA play.
However, it’s not just her record that makes Jansen special; it’s the way she plays.
“”Kristina never gives up,”” said women’s tennis head coach Liz LaPlante. “”She gives it her all on every point.””
This toughness is evident when one takes a close look at her singles play. Jansen is 21-1, playing most of her matches in the No. 5 singles spot. Instead of letting up against admittedly weaker opponents, Jansen has dominated, dropping only five sets total and losing only 15 points in her seven completed CCAA matches.
Playing in the No. 5 spot can be tough for a player of Jansen’s caliber, and it has its shortcomings.
“”Playing against weaker opponents at No. 5, even though you win most of the matches, doesn’t really help my confidence,”” Jansen said. “”I go into the matches against the bigger teams and wonder if I can play with those girls. But because our team is so strong, I get a lot of practice against good players every day.””
A lack of big-time matches didn’t hurt Jansen when the Tritons moved into the final portion of the season — definitely their most difficult stretch of matches.
“”Though she’s played some easy matches,”” LaPlante said, “”she has played well against the tough opponents.””
The results speak for themselves. Jansen won her singles matches when UCSD faced fourth-ranked Barry University, No. 13 Cal Poly Pomona, No. 16 UC Davis, No. 18 Grand Canyon University (twice), No. 28 Sonoma State University and No. 40 University of Northern Colorado. Jansen’s only loss was against No. 7 Abilene Christian University, dropping a three-set match to Rachael Taylor.
Jansen doesn’t let up when she teams with freshman Jasmin Dao. The duo has collected a 19-3 record at No. 3 doubles, including a perfect regular season in the CCAA.
“”She’s a strong competitor,”” Dao said. “”She never gives up and that’s what you need in a doubles partner. She’s always so perky and upbeat, and that helps a lot.””
Dao and Jansen’s play complement each other well, which is why such a young team has been able to achieve such incredible results.
“”Jasmin and Kristina are a real solid No. 3 team,”” LaPlante said. “”They’ve both been working on coming to the net and both have good ground strokes.””
But Jansen’s talents are more than just athletic; she provides a source of inspiration on and off the court to an incredibly tight squad.
“”She’s always in a great mood,”” LaPlante said. “”Sometimes things like midterms and schoolwork can affect some of the girls, but it never affects Kristina. She always comes ready to practice in an upbeat mood.””
Dao agreed with her coach.
“”She was so friendly when I first got here,”” Dao said. “”She made me feel so welcome on the team.””
Jansen’s relationship with Dao gained extra importance when they became doubles partners.
“”Jasmin is still learning every day,”” LaPlante said, “”so a lot of times it was up to Kristina to carry the team.””
Jansen’s upbeat attitude and talent on the court will be needed this weekend when the Tritons host the NCAA Western Regionals at UCSD’s North Tennis Courts.
The Tritons will first face Hawaii-Hilo on Friday at 2 p.m. The winner will play to advance to the championships Saturday at 11 a.m.
Jansen believes the Tritons have what it takes to improve on their first-round loss in the national championships last year.
“”I feel very confident that we’re going to go to nationals,”” Jansen said. “”Depending on the draw, I think we can advance past the first round there too.””
