FLAGSTAFF, ARIZ. (July 30, 2020) – While her freshman season was cut short,
Mimi Bland quickly showed the impact she can make on the NAU women's tennis program in the years ahead.
Finishing 3-1 in singles, with wins in her final three matches including a 6-1, 6-1 victory at No. 6 against Oregon and a 6-1, 6-2 win at No. 5 versus Montana, Bland's talent might have been even more apparent in doubles.
Playing at No. 1, Bland and
Adrianna Sosnowska compiled a 5-2 record with four consecutive victories in completed matches. Among them were a 6-3 win at Arizona, a 6-2 victory at Utah State and a match at Oregon that went unfinished while tied 5-5. The duo also finished the fall season with a 12-3 record, reaching No. 25 on the Oracle ITA National Fall Rankings.
Q: Where have you been the past few months and what does a normal day look like for you?
A: I am currently at home with my family in the UK and I have been working most days throughout the week. I play tennis with my friends as much as possible. I also went on lots of bike rides and runs before my tennis club reopened as that was the only way I could stay active. I have spent a lot more time with my family as well, which has been super nice.
Q: What are you most looking forward to when you get back competing on the court?
A: I am really looking forward to getting back to competing because it allows me to apply what I have been working on to the match court and see the improvements I've made. I also miss seeing my friends from around the country.
Q: What is motivating or encouraging you to push through these difficult times?
A: I think there is a silver lining to the current situation for me as it has allowed me to see clearly how much I enjoy my sport and now I am more excited to play in tournaments.
Q: How did you first get into your sport?
A: I started playing tennis when I was 4 years old and my parent took me down to our local tennis club where lots of other kids were trying it out as well. That was when my coach saw me play for the first time and began to give me lessons.
Q: If you could be a dual-sport athlete at NAU, what sport would you compete in and why?
A: If I could play another sport, I would choose soccer because I am a big supporter of Leicester City and watching all the premier league matches.
Q: If you could pick any other NAU student-athlete to try out your sport, who would it be and why?
A: If I could see another athlete try tennis, it would probably be a football player as their sport is mostly about power and speed and it would be interesting to see their hand eye coordination and precision.
Q: What is your best tennis memory ever?
A: My best memory would be last summer when I won the county cup, which is a week-long team event where you play doubles against 5 other countries to decide the winner. It was great fun because I train with everyone on my team and the whole week is played on grass which I love.
Q: What is your major and what are your career aspirations?
A: My major is exercise science and I'm not sure what I want to do later in life, but I definitely want to stay involved in sports.
