PVCC Puma Press: April 2006

There is a new “gang” on campus. Its members sport names like Mu-Mu, Russia, and Ma. The color they claim is blue. Beware, because these Pumas are hot.

The gang is the PVCC Women’s Tennis Team. Their ringleader is Coach Barbara Paajanen. While this is considered to be a “rebuilding” year, the team’s numbers are growing and its strength continues to escalate.

Coach Paajanen took over the tennis team last year and led them to a disappointing (1-11) record. The challenges last year’s team faced were the results of a “cupboard left bare.” Many of the best players had just graduated. Recruiting efforts had also lapsed, and as a result Coach Paajanen inherited a team with not enough players to compete. The team fielded four players and even recruited some of PVCC’s own soccer players.

But that is not the case this year. Paajanen has a tennis team of eight good women. Led by Maria “Ma” Micsunescu and Lisa “Mu-Mu” Paajanen, the team has a complete roster. (Ma is short for Maria, and Mu-Mu is Finnish for Grandma.) While these two women may be the “big guns,” comprising the top two singles competitors and the top doubles tandem, the rest of the team is just as responsible for contributing to the rebuilding process.

Elena “Russia” llyabaeva brings a little humor to the team. Before each of their matches, the women remind each other of how “hot” they are. Team members gather and give their imitation of the men’s Puma cheer, “Pumas on Two.” The women garner their manliest voices in an effort to pump up themselves and intimidate their opponents. The humor has worked more for morale than for certifiable results, as the team’s record thus far is (3-9). But the women understand that the experience of playing this year is for fun and improvement, not necessarily to compete for a Regional or National title.

When asked about the team’s goals to finish out the year, Latina Aguilar brought a realistic view to the table, “Next year we will be better. We want progression, and we always want to play the best, like Scottsdale.” Aguilar was referring to top-ranked Scottsdale Community College, the New York Yankees of the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference.

Coach Paajanen keeps everything in perspective, noting that “Academics come first, and for us success is just competing.” She sees light at the end of the tunnel, though: “This year we have had such great team unity. I know it will transfer on to next year.”

As the Regional Tournament approaches, the big goal is to finish in the top three and qualify for the National Invitational. A win would cement the progress made in a program-growing season. The Regionals will be held April 12–13 at the Paseo Racquet Club.