Mulville, Ducks Prepare for Pac-12 Play

Allison Mulville's athletic career began on stage as a ballerina instead of on the tennis court. In fact, the Southern California native initially thought it was silly to hit a ball for fun.

But a mixture of sibling rivalry and an inherent competitive drive convinced Mulville to turn her slippers in for a racket. Now, the freshman prepares for her first set of Pac-12 matches as the Oregon women's tennis team hosts No. 20 California on Friday, March 8 (1:30 p.m) and No. 4 Stanford on Saturday, March 10 (11 a.m.).

Mulville joined the Ducks' roster this past January after graduating from high school six months early, forcing her to immediately dive into the rigor of college academics and athletics while simultaneously adjusting to life 2,500 miles away from home. However, despite the abrupt change, Mulville is settling into her new Eugene routine remarkably well.

"I have a tendency to adjust and adapt well," said Mulville. "It's been really exciting and fun. I'm learning a lot of things pretty quickly."

Looking at her preseason record, Mulville's self-identified ability to adapt to her surroundings is evident. With seven wins already under her belt – six coming in dominate straight-set performances – and only two losses coming against ranked teams, there seem to be no outside distractions affecting the freshman.

"She's a very smart player," head coach Courtney Nagle said of Mulville. "When she steps out on the court she really tries to figure out her opponents. She does a great job at exploiting their weaknesses."

Mulville is currently undefeated at the No. 5 spot, providing consistency for Oregon amidst a season that has proved challenging at times. With a few unexpected shifts in the lineup from match to match, Oregon players have had to step up and compete in positions that are somewhat unfamiliar. And, no surprise here, Mulville has undeniably rose to the challenge, winning two matches at No. 4 singles for the Ducks.

"No matter what happens in life you're going to face adversity," said Mulville. "It is a little challenging at times, but it's something that we need to be able to figure out and push through, going forward it will just makes us stronger."

Again, not letting any outside factors affect her individual performance.

Mulville is determined to carry this mindset with her as the Ducks prepare for conference play, continuing to focus on her capabilities and goals regardless of the imminent pressure that may come along with hosting two top-20 teams.

"It's just another match," said Mulville. "I'm just going out there and get done what I need to get done as quickly and efficiently as possible."