Lamija Avdic makes history for Redhawks tennis team – The Spectator

Lamija Avdic has achieved great success early in her sophomore year on the Seattle University women’s tennis team. In April, Avdic was named the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Tennis Freshman of the Year. Just a few months later, Avdic became the first Redhawk to ever reach the round of 16 of the ITA Northwest Regionals.

The Northwest Regionals were held in Berkeley, California and included participants from Division I universities in the Northwest Region. Avdic was one of 16 players to make it to the quarterfinals before being eliminated.

Under her grandfather’s influence, Avdic started playing tennis at the age of six. She is among five other cousins ​​who play tennis and is the fourth Division I athlete in her family. Her younger sister is the fifth and will join the Seattle U women’s tennis team next year for her freshman year of college alongside Avdic.

The following is a condensed excerpt from an interview with Lamija Avdic. For brevity, the reporter’s questions are paraphrased.

EJ: Why did you choose Seattle U?

LA: I really enjoyed it Kristina [Hollander]the coach and what her values ​​were and it’s close to home. I’m originally from Kirkland, which is near Seattle. I knew I wanted to be close to home and I love Seattle too. So I’m super happy with how everything worked out.

EJ: What was it like being named WAC Women’s Tennis Novice of the Year last April?

LA: It was honestly really hard. It was hard at first, making the transition from such an individual sport to a team now in college. But I felt like I wasn’t just doing it for myself, but also for my team and my family. That’s why I love being at home because my family can come over and look after me at any time. So it was a big relief when I thought, OK, I know what I’ve achieved and that was my goal at the start of the season. I just had it in my head and just did it.

EJ: How does it feel to be the first Redhawk to reach the round of 16 of the ITA Northwest Regionals?

LA: It was incredible. The whole weekend was simply incredible for the entire team. It was my first time traveling with our new team this year and I just wanted to represent the school in the best possible way and really get our name out there.

EJ: What are your favorite ways to bond with your teammates?

LA: We really enjoy taking nature walks and stuff like that. We host family dinners and prepare charcuterie boards or homemade pizza. Since I’m the only local on the team, my family hosts the annual lunch or dinner, so we invite the whole team over to our house and we just hang out. Most of my teammates are Slavic, so the girls who aren’t Slavic are like Slavic maids of honor. We always love introducing them to the culture and trying out their cultures too. It’s really interesting to see different types of cultures and their perspective on life and I love that.

EJ: What skills and techniques would you like to improve for future tournaments?

LA: I think I’m just really passionate when I play, and that can be really good or really bad. Well, no, not bad, but only in the sense that it can shock me sometimes. I would just like to have more calmness. Just like relax, relax for a second.

EJ: What do you like best about being a student?

LA: Just meeting different sports and different people from different cultures, hanging out and experiencing the sport. I now have two different worlds combined into one and it’s so much fun. I have friends who are not athletes and I have friends who are. We’re all still together, it’s just that sometimes I escape from one world to the other, and it’s just nice to not think about everything that’s going on.

EJ: Is there anything you would like to say or any advice you would like to give to younger athletes who want to go to college?

LA: I would say if you think it’s a lot, it is, but it’s worth it. It is an experience that shapes you for the better. You learn so much from it. It’s just a cool opportunity to even be in college. Just enjoy every bit of it because when you’re older you’ll miss it. It’s simply an experience that everyone should have in college.