LORMAN, Miss. – As one of the winningest student-athletes to play for the Alcorn State University women's tennis program, the only thing
Anastasia Vaganova is missing from her decorated career is a ring on her finger.
She's come close, as the Nizhny Novgorod, Russia native has helped the Lady Braves reach the finals of the SWAC Championships in back-to-back years.
Vaganova hoists a 15-2 career SWAC singles record after three seasons. She's a two-time All-Conference First-Team honoree, a SWAC Freshman of the Year winner and has been named to the SWAC All-Tournament Team.
Additionally, she's never lost a postseason match. Vaganova carries a 5-0 singles record at the SWAC Championships.
"The tennis lifestyle is all that I know. I've been playing since I was 3-years old and have always worked as hard as I can so that I'm prepared for the matches," Vaganova said. "My college career is going by fast, and so I just try to enjoy myself while I'm on the court and take advantage of my time at Alcorn."
Vaganova ended 2019 on a seven-match winning-streak which will carry over into 2020.
"I'm very impressed with what Ana has been able to accomplish so far at Alcorn. She worked very hard in the fall, and it paid off with the awards she won in the spring. We're relying on her to come back and set the example next year as a senior and really set the tone for the rest of the team," said Alcorn head coach
Barbara Oliveira. "If Ana and the rest of the team remain motivated over the summer and come back strong in the fall, we'll have a great chance to compete for a championship next season."
Prior to Alcorn, Vaganova was a nationally ranked junior tennis player in Russia that was searching for a school in America to call her new home. She had never been to America before.
"There are more opportunities in America. Coming here gave me the combination of both education and playing tennis," Vaganova said. "I wanted to play at a Division I school, and Coach [Anthony] Dodgen and I had some Skype interviews and he was very nice to me. It was a great option for me to play on a scholarship."
Dodgen was the former head coach at Alcorn.
Vaganova arrived in Jan. 2017 for her freshman season. She stayed at home the previous semester to work on her game and be prepared for the team's primary season in the spring.
"When I first arrived, the campus looked so nice. Everything was so new to me, but the coach and my teammates were very friendly and welcomed me and helped me get adjusted right away," Vaganova said.
Although she's won more matches than anyone else on the roster, Vaganova's collegiate career didn't begin on a high-note. She dropped her first-ever match in America 6-2, 6-0 at New Orleans at No. 2 singles on Feb. 3, 2017.
Vaganova then lost her second match, 6-0, 6-3 at UL-Monroe on Feb. 12, 2017.
"It was not easy here at first. I just felt like everyone was playing better than me and I needed to change my style of play in order to win at college tennis here," Vaganova said. "There was a lot more pressure playing as part of a team, which is something I hadn't done before. I was playing at No. 2 singles and I had to work to get in better shape and improve my tennis. Tennis is an individual sport, but when you come to college it changes into a team game. It just took some time for me to find my rhythm here."
Another factor was that Vaganova grew up playing indoor tennis for most of her prep career because of the cold weather in Russia. College tennis in America is played outdoors where the weather can affect a match.
Vaganova found a way to get it turned around by the team's third match. In Alcorn's 6-1 loss to Lamar, Vaganova was the only Lady Brave to pick up a win as she ousted Stephanie Marchena 7-6 (7-5), 4-6, 10-5.
It was just the beginning of a big freshman season for her, as she proceeded to win 10 more matches for an 11-6 overall record, including a 5-1 mark in conference. Vaganova went on to earn SWAC Freshman of the Year accolades and a spot on the All-Conference First-Team.
"I was actually in a match when I found out I won Freshman of the Year. It hadn't been decided yet, but the former assistant Kersten Vanem came to my court and started cheering for me. She told me I won, and I was really happy and I went on to win my match," Vaganova said. "I was very surprised because I had only been at Alcorn for a few months and I wasn't expecting to win any awards so early."
Vaganova's success carried over into her sophomore year. She ended 4-1 in conference and picked up a pair of critical wins in the SWAC quarterfinals and semifinals to help the team advance to the championship.
This past season, Vaganova posted a 10-5 overall record at No. 2 singles and was a perfect 6-0 in conference. Not only did she become a two-time All-Conference First-Team honoree, but she also earned a spot on the SWAC All-Tournament team after going unbeaten en route to the team's run to the finals.
In doubles, Vaganova teamed with
Bianca Birkenstock for three consecutive seasons. The two won 12 matches together, including a 6-3 victory in the semifinals this year against Prairie View A&M to help lock up the doubles point.
"Bianca and I are both very competitive players. We've always been able to pick each other up on the court if the other one is down and figure out the best strategy to win. Once the match starts, we are a good team and we know each other's tendencies and can back each other up," Vaganova said. "We've always been confident that we can win as a team."
This summer, Vaganova continues to work on her tennis game and conditioning. She said the goal is for the team to win the SWAC next season.
"I'd be very happy if I finally were able to win a ring, especially after making it to the finals two years in a row. It would mean a lot," Vaganova said. "Coach Oliveira has helped me and the team a lot. She makes us work hard and really pushes us."
Vaganova is majoring in business administration. After she finishes at Alcorn, she plans to stay in America to pursue a graduate degree.
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