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Morra, Blue Devils Excited about Hosting NCAAs
5/3/2023 12:00:00 PM | Women's Tennis
DURHAM – Prior to the Duke women's tennis team hosting the NCAA Tournament first and second rounds this weekend, GoDuke.com caught up with Blue Devil graduate student Cameron Morra to talk about the upcoming NCAAs, her time at Duke and her future plans.
Duke, the No. 6 overall seed, will host William & Mary on Friday at 5 p.m., in the first round at Ambler Tennis Stadium. UCLA will also face Texas Tech at 2 p.m., on Friday in the first round. The winning teams will then face each other on Saturday at 5 p.m., in the second round.
GoDuke.com: How excited are you to compete in the NCAA Tournament?
Cameron Morra: I can't wait. I think it's something we've been looking forward to all year. We've put in a ton of work and I think we're all really excited to show everyone what we can do.
GD: This will be your fifth NCAAs since arriving in college. How is the NCAA Tournament different than the regular season in terms of intensity, level of competition, etc.?
CM: I think that anything can happen in the NCAA Tournament. It doesn't matter, seeding, how your team has performed before. I think it's just an extremely exciting time. It's a great time to make memories with your team. I think ultimately, at the end of the day, that's what makes people play their best tennis. It's also the last tournament of the year, which I think always has more build up around it. Winning an NCAA Championship is probably the biggest thing you can do in collegiate tennis. So, I think that it always means a lot and it's always a great time. I'm super excited to get to experience it as a Blue Devil.
GD: Playing in such of a tough conference as the ACC, how much does that help the teams heading into the NCAA Tournament?
CM: So much. At the ACC Championship, I think there were eight teams from the ACC in the top 20-25, which is expected. It always is one of the most competitive tennis conferences in the country. I think what helps the most is it makes the NCAA Tournament just feel like another match, playing in the big moments, that can be the most important thing. Not overthinking the moment, trying to enjoy it and compete to the best of your ability for your team.
GD: To be able to play at least the first couple of matches at home in Durham, how much of an advantage is that for this team?
CM: I think it's a huge advantage. We even talked about it this morning, that's something that you earn. Given especially that this is when school starts to pick up too, and to have the opportunity to finish school and then focus solely on tennis, which is not something we get to do at all, all year until this tournament. I think it's a really big advantage and it has been nice having a week and a half to also just practice. I think that can make a really big difference too.
GD: How has your experience been so far with attending the Duke Fuqua School of Business?
CM: It's been the best time. I joke about it all the time with my parents. It's such a big opportunity to be in that building, let alone just in the program. I'm so grateful for everything that everyone has done for me, the support system is incredible. I've met so many people relationships wise, people with different personal experiences, different backgrounds, people I never would have met if I hadn't come here. It's just been amazing, let alone getting to learn from amazing professors and you really can't compare it to anything else. I've just loved my experience and I am super grateful.
GD: What kind of plans do you have for after you graduate and finish the tennis season?
CM: I am a little beat up more than I expected. We've been putting everything into this. We all want it so bad; we want to do well. Given that, I actually do think I will be taking a little bit of time for myself. Rest and recover, I plan on putting everything I can into the next few weeks. From there, it'll be good to get back into tennis, to play a little before entering the real world.
#GoDuke
Duke, the No. 6 overall seed, will host William & Mary on Friday at 5 p.m., in the first round at Ambler Tennis Stadium. UCLA will also face Texas Tech at 2 p.m., on Friday in the first round. The winning teams will then face each other on Saturday at 5 p.m., in the second round.
GoDuke.com: How excited are you to compete in the NCAA Tournament?
Cameron Morra: I can't wait. I think it's something we've been looking forward to all year. We've put in a ton of work and I think we're all really excited to show everyone what we can do.
GD: This will be your fifth NCAAs since arriving in college. How is the NCAA Tournament different than the regular season in terms of intensity, level of competition, etc.?
CM: I think that anything can happen in the NCAA Tournament. It doesn't matter, seeding, how your team has performed before. I think it's just an extremely exciting time. It's a great time to make memories with your team. I think ultimately, at the end of the day, that's what makes people play their best tennis. It's also the last tournament of the year, which I think always has more build up around it. Winning an NCAA Championship is probably the biggest thing you can do in collegiate tennis. So, I think that it always means a lot and it's always a great time. I'm super excited to get to experience it as a Blue Devil.
GD: Playing in such of a tough conference as the ACC, how much does that help the teams heading into the NCAA Tournament?
CM: So much. At the ACC Championship, I think there were eight teams from the ACC in the top 20-25, which is expected. It always is one of the most competitive tennis conferences in the country. I think what helps the most is it makes the NCAA Tournament just feel like another match, playing in the big moments, that can be the most important thing. Not overthinking the moment, trying to enjoy it and compete to the best of your ability for your team.
GD: To be able to play at least the first couple of matches at home in Durham, how much of an advantage is that for this team?
CM: I think it's a huge advantage. We even talked about it this morning, that's something that you earn. Given especially that this is when school starts to pick up too, and to have the opportunity to finish school and then focus solely on tennis, which is not something we get to do at all, all year until this tournament. I think it's a really big advantage and it has been nice having a week and a half to also just practice. I think that can make a really big difference too.
GD: How has your experience been so far with attending the Duke Fuqua School of Business?
CM: It's been the best time. I joke about it all the time with my parents. It's such a big opportunity to be in that building, let alone just in the program. I'm so grateful for everything that everyone has done for me, the support system is incredible. I've met so many people relationships wise, people with different personal experiences, different backgrounds, people I never would have met if I hadn't come here. It's just been amazing, let alone getting to learn from amazing professors and you really can't compare it to anything else. I've just loved my experience and I am super grateful.
GD: What kind of plans do you have for after you graduate and finish the tennis season?
CM: I am a little beat up more than I expected. We've been putting everything into this. We all want it so bad; we want to do well. Given that, I actually do think I will be taking a little bit of time for myself. Rest and recover, I plan on putting everything I can into the next few weeks. From there, it'll be good to get back into tennis, to play a little before entering the real world.
#GoDuke
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