The two seniors on the New Mexico State women’s tennis team have come a long way since arriving to Las Cruces.
Natalia Salum and Manon Sylvain are approaching the end of their Aggie careers, but both have left their mark on the program with their presence on and off the court.
“When you recruit these players from overseas it’s really hard to know what you’re going to get all the time, because we don’t get an opportunity to actually go to France to recruit them,” said NM State women’s tennis coach Ivan Fernandez. “Both of them have definitely exceeded my expectations and they’re going to be very hard to replace next year.”
Salum was born in El Paso, Texas and grew up in Durango, Mexico. Before becoming an Aggie, Salum was the top ranked junior tennis player in Mexico for two consecutive years. Salum said the relatively short distance between Las Cruces and Durango made the transition to college life easier.
“The change wasn’t that hard, because Mexico is not really that far away,” Salum said. “I knew my parents were pretty close if I needed anything, so that was nice.”
As a freshman, Salum and her partner, Laura Boguet, posted a 17-8 record in doubles play. The duo won the Aggie Fall Invite doubles championship and compiled a strong performance in the ITA Central Region Championships.
Salum finished her sophomore season with a record of 11-18, but finished the season on a high note. She went 3-1 in the month of April and defeated players from Hawaii, Fresno State and Utah State. Salum was also awarded Academic All-WAC honors.
After starting her junior season at 1-4, Salum rebounded to win 11 of her last 12 matches to finish the regular season with 12 wins. She also won eight consecutive singles matches during that span.
Salum’s senior campaign has an impressive one. She currently sits at 11-4 overall and holds an impressive 8-2 mark at the No. 4 spot.
“To be honest, Natalia has come the longest,” Fernandez said of Salum’s progression over the past four years. “When I recruited her she was a young 17-year-old, and she’s really grown into a great team leader and team player. She’s really accepted her role as one of the co-captains this year amazingly.”
In addition to becoming a better tennis player, Salum said she has grown as person during her time at NM State.
“Being here has really made me more independent,” Salum said. “I think I have grown up a lot on and off the court since I came here as a freshman.”
Sylvain’s journey to Las Cruces began in Valence, France. She competed in numerous international tournaments, and was selected to represent France at the Nike Tour Tournament in Paris, where she reached the semifinals. The language barrier made the move to Las Cruces difficult at first.
“It was tough, because when I first got here I didn’t speak any English,” Manon said. “But after I learned the language and got comfortable here, everything worked out great.”
After redshirting her freshman season, Manon quickly established her position on the team as a sophomore. She posted a 14-15 record and was named Second Team All-WAC Doubles, Academic All-WAC and ITA Scholar Athlete.
Sylvain returned her junior season and continued her success. She finished the year will 11 wins, playing primarily towards the top of the singles lineup. Sylvain ended the year by being named to the WAC All-Tournament Team.
Sylvain is 7-7 this season and has played at the No. 1 spot all year. She and her doubles partner, Williams, have a 5-4 record this spring.
“When she first got here she barely spoke any English,” Fernandez said. “It’s been a huge transition, and it’s great to have seen her personality come it in a foreign language.
Although her collegiate playing career will end after the season, Salum will return to NM State next semester to finish her degree. Salum has always wanted to coach the game, and she will get her opportunity next year when she becomes a student-assistant for the team.
When the semester ends, Sylvain plans on moving t Mexico, where she will enroll in graduate school. Having earned academic honors every year she played at NM State, Sylvain should not have any problems getting accepted.
Salum and Sylvain each have a list of goals and aspirations for the future, but they still have business to take care of on the tennis court. The Aggies play New Mexico on Saturday before hosting the WAC Tournament, which starts on April 26.
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