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Go Shockers - RH: Sophomore Works Her Way Into Single Lineup
Colin Foster keeps an Excel spreadsheet on his laptop with tennis players categorized by country and age. He may see several at a tournament, many of whom aren't recruiting eligible, and keeps notes.
He checks the list country by country and, when an athlete reaches NCAA permissible recruiting age, contacts them through social media. As in the case of Theodora Chantava, he might write them years after watching them.
"He saw me, and then three years later I get a message on my phone," said Chantava, a sophomore from Grevena, Greece. "I didn't expect it. I was like 'Is this true?" I talked with him. I trusted him from the moment I talked to him."
Foster first watched in the summer of 2019 in a tournament in Greece and noted her talents. He returned in 2022 to evaluate her again and dispel Chantava's doubts about how the system worked in American college tennis.
"Once I made that trip, she knew 'Oh, this must be a real thing," Foster said. "Under the radar recruit. Small town. She was like 'Wait, you're going to pay for everything?" Colin Foster
That spreadsheet is paying off for Wichita State women's tennis, which enters the week 10-7 and ranked No. 63 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association poll. Chantava, after finishing her freshman year at No. 5 in the lineup, is playing No. 3 in recent matches and is 10-1 in singles dual matches this spring.
The Shockers (10-7) play Tulsa (1 p.m.) and Kansas City (5 p.m.) at Coleman Tennis Complex today (Monday).
WSU's appearance in the national ranking is its first since 2022 and its highest (at No. 55 on March 19) since 2019. Chantava, who started the spring out of the singles lineup, is an example of how the Shockers are improving.
"She really kind of took that personally and used it as even more motivation," Foster said.
Chantava said she expected to start the spring in the lineup. While disappointed, she trusted Foster's judgment and took his suggestions to improve her mindset and work through adversity.
"I took it personally and I worked harder," she said. "I tried to be more positive and put the work in, physically, on the court."
Chantava, 6-foot-1, is more agile and stronger after conditioning sessions with Alex Dee, assistant director of sports performance.
Theodora Chantava
"She knows that stuff pays off," Foster said. "You can see it in longer matches or even longer points. She doesn't bail out as quickly. She's willing to stay in the rally when she needs to and play the extra couple shots."
Chantava credits Shocker coaches with helping build a plan entering a match. That work built confidence and maturity.
"I was sort of playing blind with my talent – whatever worked," she said. "We've really developed strategic tactics."
Chantava is majoring in sport management with the goal of coaching after playing professionally. For most athletes in Europe, continuing their education while playing a sport isn't an option, which is why the American system of college sports is attractive.
She isn't sure where she would be without Foster's spreadsheet.
"It's crazy," she said. "It's so interesting and incredible how it worked. I was looking for a degree, and I knew in Greece it would be hard to get. When he explained all the experiences here, it was easy to say 'Yes.'"
That "yes" was three years in the making for Foster and Chantava.
He checks the list country by country and, when an athlete reaches NCAA permissible recruiting age, contacts them through social media. As in the case of Theodora Chantava, he might write them years after watching them.
"He saw me, and then three years later I get a message on my phone," said Chantava, a sophomore from Grevena, Greece. "I didn't expect it. I was like 'Is this true?" I talked with him. I trusted him from the moment I talked to him."
Foster first watched in the summer of 2019 in a tournament in Greece and noted her talents. He returned in 2022 to evaluate her again and dispel Chantava's doubts about how the system worked in American college tennis.
"Once I made that trip, she knew 'Oh, this must be a real thing," Foster said. "Under the radar recruit. Small town. She was like 'Wait, you're going to pay for everything?" Colin Foster
That spreadsheet is paying off for Wichita State women's tennis, which enters the week 10-7 and ranked No. 63 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association poll. Chantava, after finishing her freshman year at No. 5 in the lineup, is playing No. 3 in recent matches and is 10-1 in singles dual matches this spring.
The Shockers (10-7) play Tulsa (1 p.m.) and Kansas City (5 p.m.) at Coleman Tennis Complex today (Monday).
WSU's appearance in the national ranking is its first since 2022 and its highest (at No. 55 on March 19) since 2019. Chantava, who started the spring out of the singles lineup, is an example of how the Shockers are improving.
"She really kind of took that personally and used it as even more motivation," Foster said.
Chantava said she expected to start the spring in the lineup. While disappointed, she trusted Foster's judgment and took his suggestions to improve her mindset and work through adversity.
"I took it personally and I worked harder," she said. "I tried to be more positive and put the work in, physically, on the court."
Chantava, 6-foot-1, is more agile and stronger after conditioning sessions with Alex Dee, assistant director of sports performance.
Theodora Chantava
"She knows that stuff pays off," Foster said. "You can see it in longer matches or even longer points. She doesn't bail out as quickly. She's willing to stay in the rally when she needs to and play the extra couple shots."
Chantava credits Shocker coaches with helping build a plan entering a match. That work built confidence and maturity.
"I was sort of playing blind with my talent – whatever worked," she said. "We've really developed strategic tactics."
Chantava is majoring in sport management with the goal of coaching after playing professionally. For most athletes in Europe, continuing their education while playing a sport isn't an option, which is why the American system of college sports is attractive.
She isn't sure where she would be without Foster's spreadsheet.
"It's crazy," she said. "It's so interesting and incredible how it worked. I was looking for a degree, and I knew in Greece it would be hard to get. When he explained all the experiences here, it was easy to say 'Yes.'"
That "yes" was three years in the making for Foster and Chantava.
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