If you ask men’s tennis head coach Dominic Modise about who his best player is, it wouldn’t take him long to give you his answer. “Vlad is probably one of the most talented guys that we have on the team, and for a freshman to show that he can hang with the best players in the conference is amazing.”
Freshman Vlad-Lucian Popa is one of the players showing early signs that the revamped men’s tennis program is already laying the foundation for future success. The men’s team is 4-11 overall on the season and 2-4 in conference play, which guarantees the team a spot in the Southland Conference Tournament in late April.
Popa, a native of Braila, Romania, has enjoyed the Nicholls experience and attributes the success of himself and the rest of the team to the lack of a sixth player on the squad. “We only have five guys, and we practice more than other teams who are at full strength, so it gives us an advantage because it makes us better,” Popa said.
As the No. 2 player on the tennis team, Popa has a record of 6-9 overall and 2-4 in conference, which puts him at second in the conference at that position. In doubles he pairs with No. 1 player Sebastian Normand, and together they have a record of 6-8 and 2-4 in conference.
Popa was named Southland Conference Co-Player of the Week in February after going 2-1 in singles and 1-0 in doubles; the highlight of that stretch was when he defeated Mark Growcott in three sets 5-7, 6-4, 10-5. Growcott, who plays for LSU, was ranked in the top 10 in the nation in doubles play.
“I just do my best to represent the University, and it was an honor to be named player of the week,” Popa said. “I’ve been playing tennis since I was 6 years old, so tennis is almost like a profession to me.”
Only three matches remain for the men’s team this season before the conference tournament. Depending on what happens at the tournament, the season will be over in a month’s time for the Colonels, but Popa is already looking forward to next season and the seasons to come. “Next year we’ll have more players, and our goal is to be ranked in the country and be the best.”
He went on to say that he expects the team to contend for a Southland Conference title in the next two years and likes the advantage the team has when it comes to what the other players in the league think of the Colonels. “When we play with other teams, they don’t think we’re that good,” Popa said. “Because we’re not ranked, other teams think we don’t have any talent, but we demonstrate, week in and week out, that we can play with anybody.”
As a child, Popa’s parents encouraged him to play tennis and said that the thrill of winning is what drives him to become a better tennis player. “When you train to go to competitions to be the best, it’s such a strong feeling,” Popa said. “I think I’ve always had that feeling, even at a young age.”
After he completes his career here at Nicholls, Popa wants to become a professional tennis player, but if that doesn’t work out, he hopes to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a famous actor back home. “I want to go to Spain to Warner Brothers to be an actor just in case tennis doesn’t work out,” Popa said. “My dad is my hero and has been the best example for me; because of him and my family, I’m here.
