Dalton Albertin is quickly learning his potential to be a great tennis player. For him, tennis is becoming a lifestyle.
Through the first two tournaments this fall, Albertin, a sophomore, has been praised by coach Bill Richards as one of the top performers. He picked up solid wins in both the Milwaukee Classic and the Ball State Invitational.
His stock has risen in the lineup this year, and the strides Albertin has made from his freshman season haven't gone unnoticed.
"Dalton is what I call our prototype Ball State player. He came in last year and played low in the lineup and did a nice job," Richards said. "He won 75 percent of his matches, and now he's taking the next step."
Richards credits the rise in Albertin's status in the lineup to his work ethic and attitude. He said each day for Albertin is a process and that his time in practice is productive because he never wastes it.
Last season Albertin played most of his matches lower in the six spots for singles matches, but this year is a different story. Albertin said keeping a top spot partially depends on whether injured No. 1 singles player, Cliff Morrison, can recover before the spring.
"As of right now, I think if I continue to play like I am and keep putting in the time, I expect to play top two," Albertin said. "That's my goal, I'm pretty confident I can play in that spot."
Sometimes three hours of practice isn't enough for Albertin. He can often be found staying after practice with assistant coach Jeff Nevelo.
"A lot of the stuff I do after practice is footwork. If I don't feel like I pushed myself hard enough or still have some left in the tank, I might as well get a little bit better," Albertin said. "The more prepared I am and the more comfortable I feel, the better I'm going to play. I love to get extra work in there."
Once Ball State's season was ended by Western Michigan in a 4-2 loss in the Mid-American Conference Championship semifinals, Albertin wasted no time in reconstructing his game through the summer.
"I played a lot [this summer], and I worked. My job was teaching tennis, so I was around it a lot," he said. "I had good competition and pushed pretty hard. I didn't take much time off, and I think that's shown with the results I've had early."
Richards said another thing that has given Albertin early achievements is that he's consistent and doesn't hurt himself by making mistakes.
"[Albertin] competes well. He's very smart. He counters aggressive players very well with his style of play." Richards said. "To be a very good upper lineup player, he needs to get a little more offense in his game, but we can see some of that already. He finishes his points, and that's why I think he's had success so far this fall."
Albertin came into Ball State as an average player. If he keeps pushing himself, he's well on his way to being a great one.
"I want to see what the best I can be really is. A lot of people have told me for years that I have potential, but I never really worked that hard at it," he said. "Time is going fast, and I don't want to look back and think what I could have been. I want to see what I can do in this sport."
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