This season, the Cougar tennis team is young and inexperienced because many of the women on the team are either freshman or transfer students. However, junior Lynley Wasson is all but inexperienced when it comes to tennis.
The North Texas transfer calls Tempe, Ariz. home and is excited to be playing at the University of Houston.
"I love it, it’s been great so far," Wasson said. "(Playing at UH) has been a great experience."
Wasson discovered the game of tennis at 10 years old and has never looked back. She grew up around the sport and had many family members and close relatives who played.
When she was young, Wasson discovered that she enjoyed the hard-hitting, ground-thumping intensity of the game and played throughout her grade-school years.
While continuing to play in high school, Wasson decided to make the commitment to play at the collegiate level. She found that it would not be easy to accomplish this goal, as Houston did not accept her immediately after she graduated from high school. Wasson went to North Texas to play, gaining her first level of collegiate experience.
After a year at North Texas, Wasson traveled back home to Arizona and played at Mesa Community College her sophomore year. Now with 10 years of experience under her belt, Wasson is competing with passion during her third year at the collegiate level, excelling in singles play and teaming up nicely with her fellow Cougars in doubles play.
She considers herself more of a singles competitor, preferring to out-rally her opponent. With 11 singles wins on the season, she looks to continue her success and improve her skills and knowledge of the game. Wasson works hard on and off the court, working on a double major in consumer science and merchandising while still finding time to devote numerous hours to practice.
Being one of the few upperclassmen on the team, she is an important role model for Houston’s young team. Wasson’s wins have brought her team together on more than one occasion.
One of her biggest wins was against Samford University in Alabama. Wasson came from behind to win 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in her No. 4 singles match, winning the overall match for the Cougars.
"It was real exciting; a good thing to overcome and be able to win and pull out the overall match win," said Wasson.
