COLUMBIA, Mo. - With the summer reaching its end and student-athletes returning to Columbia in a matter of weeks, Mizzou Athletics will catch up with members of the Mizzou tennis program and see how their personal summer has gone.
In the fourth edition of the Mizzou tennis "Summer Update" we sat down with freshman Brianna Lashway and sophomore Brittany Lashway. The two sisters are set to begin their Tigers career this upcoming fall, as Brianna is a first-year competitor while Brittany joins Mizzou after spending last year at Syracuse University.
The Lashway sisters are two of four newcomers this season for the Tigers, joining sophomore Beatriz Machado Santos and freshman Clare Raley.
Brianna is set to begin her first season of collegiate tennis for Mizzou, after finishing her high school career at Florida Virtual in Bradenton, Fla. The youngest Lashway sister's top highlight was when she reached the semifinals and placed fourth at the 2013 Regional National Florida Open Girl's 18-U Tournament after winning the qualifying tournament for the event.
This summer, Brianna has continued to improve her game as she prepares for the upcoming 2014 Mizzou tennis fall season.
"I've been practicing every day, working on specific things and playing lots of points with my sisters," said Brianna Lashway. "As for conditioning, I've been weight training and doing running to help stay fresh. I've also been playing soccer, which helps break up the monotony."
There are many challenges for all incoming freshmen at the University of Missouri, whether they are competing in athletics or strictly attending the university for academic purposes. Brianna is no different, as she is set for a whole new lifestyle in Columbia, Mo.
"The biggest challenges that lie ahead of me are the unknown," said Brianna. "Being away from home, my parents and my little sister, Brooke, who is one of my two best friends. I've been homeschooled the past several years, so being in a classroom setting will take some adjustment as well, and also just being in an overall new environment. However, I'm really not looking at these as challenges, but as exciting and great opportunities to grow and flourish!"
As the eldest of the Lashway duo, Brittany joins Mizzou after spending the 2013-14 tennis season at Syracuse University. During her time in New York, Brittany learned a lot about herself and is ready to transition those life lessons to her new team.
"What I learned because of Syracuse is that I believe in myself even when others try and bring me down," said Brittany Lashway. "I don't give up even when things are unjust, unfair and against me. My parents brought up my sisters and me to persevere against all odds, to believe in one-self, stay determined, and to appreciate the ability to work hard in achieving goals. You have to ignore the negative things and find and focus on the positive things. I learned that it's important to stand up for yourself!"
Brittany had an outstanding first-year with the Orange, as she went 12-4 in doubles which included a 12-1 record at No.1 play. Lashway's success on the court earned her Rookie of the Year honors at the Syracuse Athletic Awards. The Bradenton, Fla. native also excelled in the classroom, as she was named to the Honor Roll every semester while at Syracuse and also earned a spot on the Academic All-Big East team.
So far, the transition from Syracuse to Mizzou has been seamless for Brittany and she looks forward to the opportunities ahead of her.
"I'm really looking forward to establishing a great relationship with Sasha (Schmid), Jason (Potthoff) and my lovely teammates," said Brittany. "Since I'm a nerd, I can't wait to start learning and studying as well. What I'm looking forward to the most, as I make the transition from Syracuse to Mizzou, is a fresh start to amazing tennis with an awesome program."
For both Brianna and Brittany, the ability to reunite in Columbia and play out the rest of their college tennis career together is something they will truly cherish.
"Playing along with my sister, Brianna, for the remainder of my college career means so much to me," said Brittany. "Honestly, she and my other sister, Brooke, are my best friends and being able to compete with Brianna and the ability to see her every day is just going to bring a smile to my face each day."
"I didn't really think about Brittany all that much when making my choice to go to Mizzou but now that I think about it, I'm incredibly grateful that I will have my sister, who is one of my two best friends on this tennis team for three years," said Brianna. "I've played my whole life with her and having her alongside me at Mizzou will be rewarding and awesome because she is a great tennis player and one of the best people I know. I'm so excited for her to push me and vice versa, and also to just have my big sister with me playing the sport I love."
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