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The Daily OrangeTennis | Christmas gift brings Jones scholarship
By Jeff Westfall
Posted: 2/22/08, 12:20 AM EST Section: Sports
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But it never came. Instead of a team poster with her name circled and labeled "The newest scholarship player for SU tennis," which would arrive later, Jones received a simple e-mail from Jensen, stripped of the frills and style intended for the announcement. But the message was no less special. It was vindication.
The e-mail told her she had turned her walk-on status into a scholarship for the 2007-08 tennis season.
Armed with a newfound confidence and a powerful forehand, Jones is proving that the scholarship is deservedly hers. After finishing the 2007 season with an 8-34 record, Jones has already eclipsed her win total from last year and is off to a decent 13-7 start in the 2008 season.
The Orange is 6-4 on the year coming off a weekend when it gained two Big East wins improving its conference record to 4-0. Jones has won her last four matches and looks to carry that momentum into this weekend against DePaul and Marquette, teams both Jensen and his players admit are the toughest Big East opponents Syracuse has faced to date.
Teammate Ashley Spicer said the mental toughness she has seen in Jones this season, along with her strong forehand, are the catalysts for her rolling win total.
"Her forehand is so strong," Spicer said. "She has two hands on both sides, and she can deceive whether she is going down the line or crosscourt with that forehand, and she hits the crap out of it. It's a bullet."
Jones uses a two-handed grip for both her forehand and backhanded groundstrokes. Jensen compares her grip stylistically to that of former professional tennis player Monica Seles. Such a technique allows her to generate more power behind her shot and is more forgiving if she is late to the ball or has a poor weight transfer. The two-handed backhand is also an important facet of Jones' game because it allows her to generate topspin or her shots and disguise the placement of her balls better.
"My forehand is probably the strongest part of my game," Jones said. "The part that has gotten a lot stronger is my mental game you know going in, and having the attitude that I am going to win. Saying if this girl is better than me she is going to have to work for it."
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elizabeth
posted 2/22/08 @ 9:59 PM EST
wow what a great story, its great that someone has this passion and committment to get a scholarship after being a walk on
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