Rutgers-Newark Athletics

By Jim Hague

Although she was a standout tennis player at Piscataway High School, Camille Sunga was a little apprehensive about whether she could handle the transition to collegiate tennis.

“I really was nervous about it,” said Sunga, a freshman member of the women’s tennis team at Rutgers-Newark. “I thought that all the players were probably better than me and that it was going to be tough for me to compete on the college level.”

But Sunga’s nerves calmed a little when she began to practice with her Scarlet Raider teammates.

“I felt a little more comfortable and got real confident after the first few weeks,” Sunga said. “My teammates really helped me get through those first days of nervousness.”

However, all of the nervous anxiousness has not subsided quite yet for the freshman.

“I’m just a nervous person,” Sunga said. “I want to do so well. Everything is so new to me. I’m still real nervous about it.”

Rutgers-Newark women’s tennis coach Kevin Morris has tried to alleviate Sunga’s fears.

“She’s a competitor,” Morris said. “She’s still breaking in at the college level, but she’s talented. She works hard and is willing to work.”

For example, the Scarlet Raiders had a big New Jersey Athletic Conference match against Ramapo earlier this week, but Sunga needed some extra work before the Scarlet Raiders faced the Roadrunners.

“She came early and worked on her serve before anyone got there,” Morris said. “That’s how hard she works. She just has to get used to the fact that she is talented and she needs to let her talent take over. She does too much thinking and should just play.”

Sunga’s approach, albeit perhaps jittery right now, is definitely working, because she’s made an instant impact with the R-N women’s tennis program. She helped the Scarlet Raiders earn wins against Lehman and Rutgers-Camden, earning the NJAC Rookie of the Week honors in the process.

“I’m really surprised,” Sunga said. “I never figured I would be playing college tennis so well so soon. When Coach Morris told me I was the Rookie of the Week, I asked, `Are you serious?’ I thought maybe he had the wrong girl.”

Sunga credits Morris for her early success.

“He really helps us during practices and just lets us play more,” Sunga said. “It’s been a big help.”

It’s also helped with the transition of playing both singles and doubles, a new aspect to the game to Sunga. She’s currently the No. 3 singles player and is paired with Bushra Memon, last year’s NJAC Rookie of the Year, to form the Scarlet Raiders’ No. 1 doubles tandem.

“It is tough going from doubles to play singles, but I’m not getting tired,” Sunga said. “I’m really grateful for the patience Coach Morris has shown me. I’m generally a hard worker and want to come to practice early, practice more. I just want to make my team proud.”
Morris likes what Sunga brings to the team.

“I’m very happy with her,” Morris said. “She’s a very positive player. She encourages her teammates a lot. She’s popular with the rest of the team. She plays a real good game right now. She is very well versed in the game. She has a good ground stroke and she’s also comfortable at the net, which has helped her playing with Bushra in doubles. She has a pretty confident game. Once she gets rid of the nervousness, she’s going to become really good.”

Sunga likes playing with Memon.

“I just love Bushra,” Sunga said. “She’s helped me in a lot of ways. She keeps me motivated and keeps me pumped. I’m glad she’s my doubles partner. She’s a great person. Being the newcomer, I was really worried that the team wouldn’t accept me. But they like me as a player and a person. I now have great new friends to have throughout my college career.”

Sunga has already declared her major at R-N, having enrolled in the school’s prestigious College of Nursing.

“I think I wanted to be a nurse since I was a little kid,” Sunga said. “I always wanted to help other people. If I can go into nursing, I can help others and feel gratified.”

Sunga also has a further plan with her life.

“I then want to wait a couple of years and then go back to school to study to become an anesthetist,” Sunga said. “I always have high goals.”

Sunga said that she had other schools in mind, but fell in love with Newark.

“When I visited Newark, I knew it was home for me,” Sunga said. “I loved the environment and I wanted to play tennis. It was a good opportunity for me.”

And if Camille Sunga continues to play the way she has through the first month of her college tennis career, then it will certainly be an outstanding addition for the R-N tennis program as well.