Breanna Bachini’s bellow overtook Drumlins Tennis Center. After cutting Vanessa Petrini’s lead to 5-3 in the second set of her match against Rutgers on Sunday, Bachini screamed at the top of her lungs, urging herself to keep the momentum.

It was not an isolated moment for the energetic Bachini, who played with the same intensity the entire match.

‘It’s key for me to play intense, aggressive and upbeat,’ Bachini said. ‘It’s about not letting back.’

It’s a style that has proven successful so far. The freshman won her first four matches of the season before suffering a three-set loss to Petrini of Rutgers. Her competitive fire has rubbed off on her teammates since she entered the singles lineup. The Orange has reeled off five consecutive victories after starting the season 2-3. Bachini has quickly impressed her teammates and coaches with her desire to win.

SU head coach Luke Jensen said he never has to worry about Bachini’s energy level. Whether it’s practice or a match, she always brings that same passion to the court.

Jensen feels practice is the most important time to play with energy, and Bachini takes that approach to heart. Bachini’s desire to win at all times, even in practice, carries over to matches, Jensen said.

‘The people who make it pressure-packed in practice won’t get intimidated in game situations,’ Jensen said. ‘Breanna brings out the best in herself every day.’

Against Petrini, Bachini fell down 4-0 in the second set after winning the first. Rather than coasting and preparing for the third set, Bachini battled back to win three of the next four sets.

Although Bachini is vocal on the court, she is constantly focused. By maintaining that mentality, she continues to persevere throughout matches and never gives up on a point.

‘I try to be pretty much the same person throughout the entire match,’ Bachini said. ‘I never get down or negative.’

The freshman wasn’t able to fully practice this semester until Tuesday due to a nagging abdominal injury. Before then, she was unable to hit serves or overhead shots during practice.

During matches, though, Bachini didn’t hold back. On game day, she would still compete as much as possible, Jensen said.

‘She puts everything into every shot,’ Jensen said. ‘When she’s going all out, she’s an honest flamethrower.’

Bachini’s mental preparations extend off the court. Jensen said Bachini watches intense movies such as ‘Gladiator’ and ‘300’ to get going.

Bachini committed to Syracuse because of the program’s goal to prepare its players to become professional, Jensen said.

Bachini has already had experience in professional tournaments, where her exuberant nature has been noted. In one tournament last summer, she was even called out by officials.

‘The line refs told me I was too loud,’ Bachini said. ‘They said the other players could hear.’

The screaming on the court does not extend into all of Bachini’s life. She has a quiet nature in everyday life, so it catches some people by surprise when they watch her play, she said.

But not her teammates. Amanda Rodgers, off to her own 9-1 start in singles matches, played next to Bachini in Sunday’s singles and said her emotional display was typical.

‘That’s just her personality on the court,’ Rodgers said. ‘She’s always the loudest, and it pumps her up. She’s a fighter, so intense.’

Bachini won her first four matches in straight sets. With such a love for competition, Bachini relished Sunday’s three-set battle, Jensen said, even though she came up just short.

‘Sunday was the most excited she’s been because she was finally challenged,’ Jensen said. ‘She was like, ‘This is great!”

Not that she was excited about losing. Jensen doesn’t need to worry about Bachini becoming complacent moving forward.

The head coach feels that Bachini will respond well to defeat due to her mental toughness and lack of fear.

Not to mention her hatred of losing.

‘She gets mean, ornery and motivated when down,’ Jensen said. ‘She doesn’t play with any fear, and she wants to be in difficult situations. Losing motivates her to work even harder.’

kmprisei@syr.edu

 

Published on February 21, 2012 at 12:00 pm

Contact Kevin: kmprisei@syr.edu