Serving for an encore

Charles C. Labenz Arizona Daily Wildcat Trying to outdo last year's Tucson College sportswoman of the year award is a lot to ask of UA junior Vicky Maes, but Arizona's best female tennis player is up for the extra practice. While she has already lost three more matches than all of last season, Maes feels her game overall is improving.

Vicky Maes, a junior from Hamme, Belgium, recalled last spring's awards banquet when she was a nominee for the Tucson College sportswoman of the year award.

She was among some of Tucson's most acclaimed athletes, like softball legends Jenny Dalton and Laura Espinoza.

As the speaker introduced the five nominees, reading their histories and accomplishments, Maes felt as if she was not given her due when the speaker breezed through her career highlights.

"It was so brief," Maes said of her introduction. "I was like, 'Whoa, I've done this and I've done that,' and when I was thinking this they had already moved on to Jenny Dalton."

After all, the speaker had failed to mention that Maes had been named the number one singles player in the nation - a UA first - a few hours before the ceremony.

It turned out that Maes' incomplete biography was planned.

The speaker later went into detail of all Maes' achievements, including her new ranking, while introducing her as the winner.

Maes is hoping things will work out in her favor again, although future success will not come without making some sacrifices.

After finishing her sophomore season with just two losses in 23 dual matches and a No. 1 ranking, she ended this season with a 17-5 dual record and is currently the fifth best player in the nation.

Although Maes can no longer boast about being the best, it doesn't seem to bother her.

In fact, she said she expected to lose a few more matches this season.

Evaluating her game earlier this season, Maes said she knew she had a long way to go before reaching her full potential.

"I can work on shots to improve them, but sometimes in a match you need that extra shot," said Maes, who has sacrificed a season that could have possibly seen her have a perfect record. "If I really want to get better I need to learn more shots. Doing that I'm going to be losing points, but in the long run I'm going to be a better player."

UA head coach Becky Bell said she admires Maes for having the maturity and dedication to take that step.

"A lot of players don't have the courage to understand that it takes a lot of effort and a little downtime to really reach that next level," she said.

"A lot of people want to stay in their comfort zone. They're not willing to venture out and work on things in their game, but Vicky understands that for her to really be the best player that she can be, she needs to go through that."

Despite an arm injury that has bothered her all season, and will continue to be a burden until she rests it, Maes' work ethic has not declined. In all actuality, she spends more time on the courts than ever before.

"She's out there every single day just playing for hours and hours and she does this day after day," said junior Betsy Miringoff, who came into the program as a freshman with Maes.

Maes said she is working on approaching the net more and improving her finishing shots once she's there.

"It's a shot you use maybe one time in a match, but it could be six-all in the third set when you need that shot and if you don't have it you have a bigger chance of losing the match," she said.

Arizona State's Reka Cseresnyes, who has played Maes several times over the last two seasons, said she has already seen a difference in Maes' game.

"She's definitely been attacking more, but she's always been one of the more aggressive players," said ASU's number one player.

Aside from being the first player in UA history to attain a number one ranking, Maes was named the Pacific 10 Conference player of the year last season and reached All-American status.

"No matter what happens the rest of her career, she has definitely made a mark in the University of Arizona tennis program, but I don't think she's ready to rest on that, either," Bell said. "She wants to do better."

With the NCAA Regional and national tournament approaching, Maes said she needs to, "put her play on the line if I want to make the best of it."

Maes plans to have arm surgery to relieve a pinched nerve in her right elbow in August and be fully recovered by the start of her senior season.

"I know I can do a lot more with the ball and that's exciting," Maes said. "The day I look at myself and say that there's nothing else I can learn is kind of scary."