Freshman stands out on, off the tennis court

Amy Paterson / staff photographer

Freshman women's tennis player Kristin Nordstrom is one of the most unassuming athletes around. With her quiet and seemingly always cheerful demeanor, one would assume her play would reflect those qualities. But at 8-3 this season, Nordstrom is proving quickly that behind her smile is a force to be reckoned with on the tennis courts.

"If you look at [Nordstrom] when she's playing, you can't tell if she's winning or losing," coach Maria Malerba said. "If things do bother her while she's playing, she doesn't let it affect her play."

While Nordstrom said she feels she has confidence she can win every time she steps out on the court, she doesn't want to be seen as a cocky player. In fact, Nordstrom is quite humble about her abilities.

"I honestly don't know if anything stands out about my game overall," Nordstrom said. "I guess my ground strokes are all right, and I like to play a lot. I just think everyone has perceptions of what's good and what's bad, but you just have to go out there and play your best every match."

Malerba and a number of people on the team, including teammates senior Margie Zesinger and freshman Paige Mowry, said they believed there were many aspects of Nordstrom's game that stood out, most notably her mentality going into matches.

"I would say her biggest strength is her mental game," Mowry said. "Nothing seems to bother her on the court. She always keeps a cool head and a positive attitude."

Zesinger said, "Whether she's winning or losing, she's the same person. I definitely admire her mental toughness."

A standout athlete at Dublin Coffman High School in Dublin, Ohio, Nordstrom participated in both lacrosse and tennis. She said growing up in a family full of tennis players though, had an impact on what she wanted to do once she reached college.

"My whole family was a tennis family," Nordstrom said. "My mom and dad both played at Arizona State (University), and my sister Katie now plays at Tufts University. I played lacrosse and some soccer growing up too, but overall I just love tennis."

Nordstrom said when it came time to picking schools, she knew almost the second she walked on campus that she wanted to attend JMU.

"I knew I wanted to go out of state, and I really liked the school and the area," Nordstrom said. "One thing I liked about [Malerba] was that she was good about letting you know she wanted you to come, but she wasn't too overly aggressive in her approach.

"To be honest, I hadn't even met the rest of the team before I decided to commit to JMU. I had corresponded with them through e-mail though, and they were all so nice and friendly."

Nordstrom said she feels she fits in on the team now more than ever. She said the three freshmen on the team — herself, Mowry and Ashley Reyher — all have bonded very well together thus far, and she also feels the rest of the team gets along well.

"Overall, the camaraderie on the team is really good," Nordstrom said. "We all do a lot together, and I don't think we get sick of each other."

Reyher said she feels Nordstrom definitely adds to the chemistry of the team, adding she is extremely supportive and encouraging.

"She'll always find a way to make you laugh or smile," Reyher said. "She's a really good friend and she's always able to help you to put things in perspective."

Mowry said, "[Nordstrom's] a very complicated person. She seems very focused, yet she's goofy off the court as well. Sometimes she's really into what she's doing, but sometimes she just busts out laughing about random stuff."

Despite her sometimes random outbursts though, Zesinger said in her experience playing alongside Nordstrom, she's very levelheaded.

"I sometimes play doubles with her and even though she's a freshman and I'm a junior, she definitely keeps me focused," Zesinger said. "Off the courts she's extremely supportive as well, you can just tell."

Nordstrom added she feels more comfortable when playing doubles than singles.

"In doubles I'm just more aggressive than in singles," Nordstrom said. "You just have to be."

Malerba agreed with Nordstrom.

"Where she really stands out is with what she can do on the doubles court," Malerba said. "She has really good awareness of the ball as well as the other people on the court."

All in all though, Malerba said she feels Nordstrom is a great asset to have on any team.

"She's one of those kids that can get along with anyone and everyone," Malerba said. "She doesn't say a whole lot, but when she talks, people definitely listen. She's pretty humble too — she'd never go talking about herself."

So when asked to describe herself how did Nordstrom react?

"I don't know, I'm pretty laid back I guess," Nordstrom said. "I'm just a happy person; I'm cheerful.