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Writer's pictureLuke Randle

SWEDISH TENNIS SOPHOMORE HELPS LADY FLAMES PURSUE ASUN VICTORY


From a YouTube recruiting video to becoming a leader for Liberty’s women’s tennis team, Alexandra Almborg has become a linchpin for the Lady Flames as they pursue their first ASUN championship. Almborg is a sophomore from Staffanstorp, Sweden. The Lady Flames recruited Almborg when their coaches came upon a video of her playing tennis on YouTube. After they reached out to her, Almborg soon came to campus for an official visit where she “fell in love with the place.” Almborg’s background in tennis stems from her parents, who both played the sport. Her parents encouraged her to pick up the sport at the age of 5, and she has played ever since.

K.J. Jugar | Liberty Photography INTERNATIONAL — Almborg originally hails from Sweden. After adjusting to life in the United States and the life of a student athlete, Almborg’s improvement on and off the court has been significant. Her efforts have seen her placed as the second player in the team’s playing order, which affords Almborg the opportunity to improve by facing harder competition. Head Coach Jeff Maren mentioned that as Almborg grows as a player, the rest of the team also gets to reap the benefits of her growth. “She’s producing wins for us, (and) she’s producing confidence for the team,” Maren said. “The level of the team has grown as her level has grown.” Maren praised Almborg for her commitment to the sport and the team. The team sees her as a role model, and the coaches are now using Almborg’s passion for the sport as a benchmark for new recruits. The Lady Flames stand as co-favorites to be conference champions this year, along with North Florida. Almborg will be a critical piece in the Flames campaign as she builds upon the previous season in which she placed on the ASUN All-Freshman Team. She expressed her excitement for the upcoming season and the number of new players she will get to work with. “I’m really excited to see what this team can do this season since we basically have a whole new team with a lot of different players,” Almborg said. Liberty has invested in the tennis program for both the men’s and women’s teams as the university prepares to construct an indoor tennis facility within the year. Currently, the Flames travel to Crosswhite Athletic Club to practice and play indoors. Almborg and Maren both look forward to the new facility, and Maren said that the facility will enable teams to practice on-campus at any time in the year. Liberty will host Furman at the Cook Tennis Complex Feb. 22.

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