CHECK-IN I SAM SMITH

UNLV WOMEN'S TENNIS
SENIOR
KINESIOLOGY MAJOR
 
 
LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – Obviously, 2020 wasn't supposed to end this way.
 
Samantha "Sam" Smith returned home to Las Vegas after three seasons playing tennis for BYU and enrolled at UNLV to finish her bachelor's degree. Rebel women's tennis coach Kevin Cory was in the market for a veteran presence in the lineup and convinced Smith to get back on the courts for a last-hurrah with the defending Mountain West champions.
 
After a slow start to the dual season, both for she and the team, Smith and the squad both won four straight matches. Then, the pandemic hit, spring sports were halted and a 4-0 blanking of visiting Youngstown State on February 23 went into the books as the final outcome of the season.
 
Just. Like. That.
 
Smith is a 2016 graduate of Coronado High School in Henderson and played No. 1 for the Cougars and went undefeated en route to winning the 2015 state championship in singles. She was ranked top 50 in the nation and No. 1 in the state before deciding to head to Utah to attend BYU. Now, she's at home in Southern Nevada after getting just a taste of what a final season spent in front of the home crowd would have been like.
 
UNLVRebels.com had a chance this week to check in with the standout netter.
 
UNLVRebels.com: The past month was obviously eventful for everyone. Take us through the process of you and your team learning that your season was suddenly over.
 
S: We were in the middle of practice, gathered around the net post when Kevin received the message that the season was over. We were just ready to head out to our assigned courts when he announced it. We all asked so many questions, and reality set in that we would not be finishing the season. He told us to keep our heads up, and although we had just been hit with this news, we went out and worked just as hard (in practice).
 
U: After a rough start against a really tough schedule, the team seemingly was turning the corner. How well do you think the Rebels would have done come Mountain West play?
 
S: We would have been amazing. We all understood that we started off with a tough schedule, and whenever we got rattled by some teams, we went back home and trained even harder. We competed well, and lots of positives came out of those tough matches. We learned with every tough loss, and came out better than before, ready to win conference!
 
U: Individually it looked like you were shaking the rust off and playing winning tennis when this happened. Do you feel that way too and how did you see your senior season ending if this never happened?
 
S: My tennis had taken a turn for the better. I was not only playing winning tennis within the matches, but practices too. Kevin and (Assistant Coach Tania Luzhanska) make the environment at practice a competitive one that pushes all of us in the best way. Kevin reminds us that how we practice is how we will play in matches and I think that is why I was playing "winning tennis." I could not ask for better coaches and a better team.
 
U: You transferred home to UNLV and were playing your final season in your hometown. What was it like to play in front of your family and friends after so much time away in Provo?
 
S: It was so refreshing. I had played on the UNLV courts many times in junior tennis and my first day hitting on the (Fertitta Tennis Complex) courts as a member of the team, I felt right at home. I also have the opportunity to have my childhood friends and family come see me play, which is so comforting and exciting. You also cannot beat the beautiful mornings outside in the sun. I did not get much of that playing outside in Provo because it was so cold and the outdoor courts were filled with snow.
 
U: How has it been for you adjusting to full-time remote learning?
 
S: Remote learning has been quite an easy adjustment. I have had multiple online classes, so I know that it involves a lot of self-discipline and motivation. It can be easy to get distracted and fall into being lazy. I try to section off my morning devoted to completing homework for different classes. Around 1 or 2 pm I will take a lunch break or do a quick workout. Then in the afternoon I will study for upcoming exams or complete any remaining homework. I have gotten a good routine down and am doing well.
 
U: Who are you spending this time with during all of this?
 
S: I am spending time with my boyfriend Andre, and his dog Max. I am such a dog person and will chase that dog around until he is sick of me. I will go on walks around the neighborhood with Max, and try to get some sunlight that way. It is important to stay in touch with the outside, especially when it is such beautiful weather in Vegas right now. I also FaceTime with friends and family to keep in touch.
 
U: What do you miss the most about being with your teammates?
 
S: I miss seeing all of the girls! I love Izumi's smile, and I miss the GENIUS, En-Pei. En-Pei is so smart I don't think anyone understands. She was basically my tutor for biology. Oh, but I really miss both of them together because they just giggle the whole time. Overall I just miss how much fun we all had. Whether it was during sprints for conditioning or drills side by side, we always had fun.
 
U: Are you doing anything to better yourself that isn't related to school during this time?
 
S: I am a huge reader, which is something that some people may not know about me. I like reading at night before bed, so I am in the middle of a book right now titled Educated and am enjoying it. I am also reading the news a lot more. I am not much of a news watcher, or political person. But with everything going on in the world, I like to stay updated with any information.
 
U: What have you binge watched during this time?
 
S: I watched all of Ozark (on Netflix). Yes -- all three seasons. It was so good! I am a screamer. So when anything gets intense in Ozark I just scream. So many surprises in that show. I am also watching Grace and Frankie. It is about two grandmas and their complicated love relationships with their husbands and it is so funny to me. Andre cannot stand the show and leaves the room whenever I turn it on, but I make Max sit next to me and watch it so I have some company.
 
U: What are you most looking forward to when this time of social distancing ends?
 
S: Going to the gym. Everyone knows that I love lifting so that should not be a shocker. I went to the gym up until they closed it and I was so upset. It is definitely a space where I can be by myself and focus and better myself. Going to the gym helps my tennis because I build up strength and endurance, but I also am most confident when I feel my best physically. So I can't wait to start lifting again.