May 22, 2007

Columbia, Mo. -

April 21, 2007

For Tiger senior, Amanda Pratzel, it is a good feeling to be back closer to home. What brought her here was tennis, a sport that has been a part of her life since she was young. "I started [playing tennis] at the age of six. My neighbors and I wanted to do something fun, so our parents signed us up for a tennis clinic. They all quit, but I loved it and have kept playing ever since." Needless to say, her parents' investment was a wise one.

After an impressive 108-7 high school campaign, Pratzel signed on to play the sport she loved with the Sooners at the University of Oklahoma. During her freshman and sophomore seasons she compiled a 19-6 record in singles play and a 6-6 mark in doubles. After two successful seasons with the Sooners, Pratzel decided to transfer to Missouri State, where she went 6-3 in the fall of 2005.

However, sixteen years after she first laid hands on a racquet, Pratzel is now playing for a school she truly loves. "The athletics and academics are the reason I came here. That and the fact that I'm closer to home."

In coming close to home, Pratzel has found a kind of second home in Mizzou. "It's definitely the better fit of all the colleges I've been at. I've definitely had the best experience here."

And Tiger fans are happy to have her here in Columbia. In her two years with the Tigers, Pratzel has quickly become a crowd favorite. Fans appreciate her effort out on the court. "I like to grind and outwork the person. I try to last longer and play consistently."

There is no doubt that she is a fighter out there. "I'm not the biggest person there is so I can't go out and overpower the majority of my opponents. So I have to compensate with speed and running balls down and being more consistent than my opponent."

Her strategy has clearly worked. In her first season with the Tigers, Pratzel tallied a 15-6 mark on the spring in singles action and an 11-10 doubles record. This season she moved up to play either the No. 1 or No. 2 singles spot for the Tigers and has continued to impress. She fought off five match points to clinch a huge comeback win over Kansas State's Tamar Kvaratskhelia and a week later rolled over Camila Belassi to nab the team's only win versus Colorado. Pratzel and fellow senior Erika Josbena, who have played nearly every doubles match together since she joined the squad, also brought home the Minnesota Gopher Invitational doubles title this past fall.

The senior star has certainly proved successful throughout her collegiate career. So, as her career now begins to come to a close, Pratzel can think back on all the good times she has had as a member of the Tiger squad. She has many fond memories from the past couple of years, including time spent hanging out with the girls on the weekends, traveling, and just simply being with the team every single day.

Pratzel's success has not been limited to the tennis court though. Balancing the rigors of being a nutritional sciences major with that of being a Division I athlete has proved no match for Pratzel, who consistently maintains a high GPA. The Mizzou senior was nominated for All- Big 12 Academic Team honors this year. The team will be released Monday (April 23).

After graduating this upcoming December with a degree in nutritional sciences, Pratzel plans on securing a job in the field of nutrition and fitness. She is keeping her mind open to coaching tennis as well.

But for the time being Pratzel is going to play one match at a time and concentrate on ending her collegiate career on a high note. And as always, she will do so with her coaches, teammates, family, and the crowd behind her. For Amanda Pratzel, it is certainly nice to be close to home.