Senior tennis player Rita Bermudez didn’t expect to become the “big sister” of her college tennis team.
As the lone senior on the women’s team at the University of Idaho, Bermudez learned to work with a team of younger athletes, all of whom are from different countries.
“It’s been a bit different being the only American,” Bermudez said. “You teach them how to say words, but you learn so much about other cultures.”
The Phoenix native believes the multicultural environment of her team has helped her gain a better understanding of her peers.
“There’s someone from Taiwan, Russia, Spain, everywhere,” she said. “They’ve helped me more than I’ve helped them.”
There are eight athletes on the Idaho women’s tennis team and seven are international students. Even head coach Mariana Cobra is from Brazil.
Bermudez said she does not see language as a barrier even though her doubles partner, freshman Maria Tavares, is from Portugal.
“Communication isn’t through words all the time,” she said. “You can smile, use your hands. It was definitely pretty easy to communicate even though there’s a language barrier.”
Cobra said Bermudez has always helped her team where she can.
“Her role has always been to help with the English,” Cobra said. “She really has taken the role of making sure the team is alright with being away from home, taking care of things that don’t necessarily show on the court.”
Bermudez has four siblings, and she said lending a helping hand is not a new role for her.
“I’m used to it,” Bermudez said. “Someone asks me for help and it’s like ‘oh yeah, I can help with that.’ No big deal.”
Bermudez began to take an interest in tennis as a child.
“My dad was a coach, so I learned,” Bermudez.
The genes appear to run in the family. Her older brothers also play tennis–Carlos Bermudez plays at Arizona State and Dominic Bermudez is on the roster at Northern Arizona.
Bermudez said she knew she wanted to play tennis in college when she was 10 years old.
“When I started winning all the sectionals and we went to nationals, I said ‘Okay, I can play tennis,’” Bermudez said.
As a high school recruit, Bermudez was ranked as the No. 3 player in the state of Arizona.
She was recruited by Boise State and several schools in Texas. She decided on attending the University of Idaho for the environment, the coaching staff and the team.
Bermudez’s left-handedness gives the senior an advantage on the court.
“She’s a lefty so she really gets a lot of balls off her serve,” Cobra said. “Lefty serve helps a lot in tennis. It takes about four balls for her to be done with the point.”
Cobra has been Bermudez’s coach for two years. She said the senior’s biggest improvement has been her consistency.
“She’s learned to be a little bit more consistent, before it was just either you hit it or you’re done,” Cobra said. “Now she can work the point a little bit more. Her forehand is her weapon but now her backhand is just as good.”
Bermudez was named to the All-WAC Second Doubles Team during the 2014 season.
The senior won her singles match Saturday against Utah State’s Sabrina Demerath 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 on the No. 3 court. Idaho won the match 6-1.
Sunday’s match against Gonzaga resulted in a loss for the Vandals, but Bermudez and Tavares won their doubles match 7-5 on the No. 2 court.
“She really helps us in the doubles, a very aggressive player overall,” Cobra said.
Tess Fox can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @tesstakesphotos
(Photo courtesy by Spencer Farrin)