Portland State freshman and prospective communications major Megan Govi is one of four freshmen on the Vikings women’s tennis roster. Hailing from San Rafael, Calif., she has already made her mark on the 2011–12 season.
Portland State freshman and prospective communications major Megan Govi is one of four freshmen on the Vikings women’s tennis roster. Hailing from San Rafael, Calif., she has already made her mark on the 2011–12 season.
“Megan is one of those athletes that…makes you appreciate her every single day on the court,” Portland State tennis head coach Jay Sterling said.
Playing at lines two or three in the singles competition, Govi has the second-best overall record in the team (3-9). But Sterling believes that her attitude and work ethic are what makes her so valuable.
“It is the coach’s job to inspire the athlete to be successful. We do that,” Sterling said. “But Megan inspires us. She inspires the entire coaching staff every single day with the attitude she brings. Players like her are the reason we got into coaching.”
Govi started playing tennis when she was young but didn’t start competing until the age of 12.
“My parents introduced me pretty early to tennis,” Govi said. “I used to play a lot of other sports like basketball and swimming but tennis was my favorite.”
Before coming to Portland State, Govi enjoyed success in tennis at the high school level.
“I played for my high school, Marin Catholic High School, for two years, and then I transferred to the Eagle Fustar tennis academy in Santa Clara,” Govi said. “My high school won our division in our sophomore year.”
Third-year coach Sterling was instrumental in recruiting her to the park blocks.
“I was only looking at schools in California at first, but my mom had forced me to come up north,” Govi said. “I met Jay and he had a strong impact on me as a reliable coach. I wanted to come and visit. I really like the girls and Portland. I fell in love with it and came here.”
So far, Govi is enjoying her experience in the Pacific Northwest.
“Its hard to get used to the weather, but I love it so far,” Govi said.
Portland State boasts a young and promising program, but women’ tennis hasn’t been the most successful team in the Big Sky conference this year (2-10 overall, 0-4 conference). That still hasn’t dampened Govi’s ambition.
“I want our team to do better than they ever have done in the past. I want us to make it to the Big Sky Tournament,” Govi said. “I think our team has the ability to do a lot better than we have so far. We are struggling a little bit so far. But its going to turn around and the future is looking better.”
Her last win was a 6-0, 6-1 straight sets victory against Montana State-Billings on Feb. 25.
“The best part about that match was the team atmosphere,” Govi said. “Everyone was cheering for each other. I remember the other girls who weren’t on yet were cheering for me. It was a positive experience.”
Sterling too is pleased with Govi’s progress this season.
“Our expectations from her were to improve significantly and she has done that,” Sterling said. “We wanted her to work on her forehand, make it bigger, having her come forward a little bit more, dictate more points and work on her volleys.“
Sterling believes that Govi’s dedication to success is one of her strengths.
“She has proven herself to be an excellent worker on the court and in the classroom,” Sterling said. “She maintains really good grades and brings intensity to every practice and match. She doesn’t do anything half way. She is a role model to the incoming freshman and a living demonstration of what Portland State tennis is all about.”
