Fresno State Athletics
Far Away Places
1/31/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Jan. 31, 2000
FRESNO, Calif. - For many, Germany is an intangible country in central Europe imaginable only by lines and borders on a map. It is a country known for its traditional garb, gut-busting food and thirst quenching beers. A country many would like to visit but few at Fresno State have lived. Kim Niggemeyer is in the minority.
An established leader for the Fresno State women's tennis team, Niggemeyer is a German citizen, a native of Berlin, and a NCAA nationally-ranked player who now holds a 12-2 record for Fresno State heading into spring competition.
A sophomore who saw little action her freshman year due to what was then believed to be tendonitis in her wrist, Niggemeyer has battled back to play a rotating No. 1 and No. 2 spot for the 23rd ranked Bulldogs this year.
"Just weeks ago they found out that I had a pinched nerve that comes from my back," Niggemeyer explained as she described the actual cause of the pain in her wrist. "It will probably come back again but I am in physical therapy and I am pretty much pain free."
Niggemeyer's irritated wrist held her back last year but not enough to keep her out of NCAA competition. The women's team won the 1999 WAC and NCAA Regional titles with two commanding performances and then went on to represent Fresno State at the national level, an experience that Niggemeyer said she will never forget.
"We won the WAC championships against New Mexico," Niggemeyer said. "We won the regionals in Virginia, but then lost in the first round of the NCAA's. All and all it was an amazing experience. I've never had an experience like that before."
So far this year, Niggemeyer has made a stunning resurgence into competition sweeping the annual Fall Bulldog Classic and advancing into the quarterfinals in the ITA Regional Championships to name only a few of her accomplishments.
Among the remarkable successes and experiences that Niggemeyer has absorbed in the United States, her most difficult task was not the competition on the court but conquering the nagging feeling of being homesick for her family and friends.
"I'd never been to the United States before I came here," Niggemeyer said. "I'm so happy to play tennis no matter where, but everything is a lot different than I was used to at home." Among the differences, Niggemeyer said, are the practice regime and the team unity.
"A really important thing that is different here is that I really feel like tennis is a team sport," Niggemeyer noted. "At home it's more of an individual sport. Here we hang out. I live with three players on the team and we do stuff together."
On top of team differences, Niggemeyer has been faced with the challenge of accepting her new California surroundings as well as speaking a foreign language.
"Berlin is a huge city," Niggemeyer said. "Fresno is not. Last year I was unhappy in the beginning because it was so different and I was so homesick. When you think about it, you can't just go home to visit because it's too far. But now I've really started to like it here and I plan to stay a lot longer."
Choosing to play tennis at Fresno State was a perfect match for not only Niggemeyer but the tennis team as well. She is now facing what could turn into the most successful tennis season the Bulldogs and Niggemeyer have seen in years.
"We want to maintain what we did last year by winning the WAC and making the NCAA's. I think we have to fight a lot more but that's what makes it more interesting," Niggemeyer said. As for her individual play, Niggemeyer is heading into uncharted territory.
"I want to make the NCAA individuals since I couldn't go last year because of my injury. I'm really looking forward to playing those individual tournaments to see what I can do this year and to compare myself to those players."
"Kim has worked extremely hard to refine her aggressive style of play," said interim head coach Corbin Archer. "Her quickness, return of serve, and court sense are just a few of the tools she can beat players with."
With refined skill on her side, and a talent-packed team behind her, Niggemeyer is only looking to what she, and her teammates, will accomplish this year. As Niggemeyer's struggle to acclimate to the States has proven the fight and persistence in this 21-year-old, she will no doubt take on the challenges before her.
"It took a lot of courage to say `okay, I am leaving home, I'm leaving my family'. My family isn't really a part of my life here. I learn something every single day and I am looking forward to learning more. Coming here to play tennis was the best choice I could make," Niggemeyer said.
