Women’s tennis honors C1C Flodin, falls to New Mexico

U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – The Air Force women's tennis team closed its 2024 dual regular season on Friday, hosting New Mexico in the Cadet Gym. Air Force fell, 4-0, to the Lobos in a competitive contest.

Hosting Senior Day prior to first serve, the Falcons, along with Air Force Director of Athletics Nathan Pine, honored team captain Isabella Flodin, who will be commissioned into the United States Air Force following graduation at the close of the academic year. Flodin, a political science major with minors in Spanish and French, will continue her education in Strasbourg, France, before entering pilot training.

After ceding the doubles point, Air Force put up a substantial effort in singles play and took eventual Mountain West regular season champion UNM to three sets on three separate courts in singles. Arianna Van Houweling, facing 15-7 Lobo senior Katherine Jhang, dispatched of Jhang in their first set, 6-1, and led 3-1 in the second before eventually falling 6-3 and dropping a 7-4 tiebreak in the third. A fired-up Flodin, competing with 19-win Maud Vandeputte, split the opening two sets with her Lobo opponent and led 5-4 in the third. Vandeputte, down 30-0 in back-to-back games, came back to tie the set and take a late lead, before taking the deciding game, winning 7-5 and clinching the regular-season title for New Mexico.

Kim and Scott Flodin, parents of the Falcons' celebrated senior, attended the match to be a part of their daughter's day. Both reminisced over their daughter's growth over the years as a Falcon:

"We dropped her off during COVID, and she struggled early on," Kim said. "The rigors of being a freshman at the Academy are already extremely tough, and to be double-isolated during basic training and having to contend with that as well was not easy for her or us. Her emotional strength and maturity have taken leaps, and the foundation of that growth originates from that first year here at the Academy."

"It's really been an impressive thing to watch for us, and admire it from afar," Scott said on the growth of his daughter. "We've been really impressed with the support that she gets from both the academic and athletic departments here. They've really been a positive force for her, and we're just extremely proud to see her excel the way she has."

Despite the loss to UNM, head coach Taylor Hollander saw her Falcons take a big step forward in their final regular season match and heaped praise onto her team captain:

"I am pleased to say that our team ended its season on a positive note. We faced the top team in the conference and, despite the tough competition, fought hard and displayed a great deal of energy and competitiveness. Our senior captain, Izzy, deserves special recognition for her outstanding performance on the court. She plays with so much passion and motivates her teammates to do the same, even in challenging situations. This display of teamwork and determination that we showed this afternoon is a great sign as we head into the Mountain West tournament. Overall, I am proud of the team's effort and am confident that we can continue to build on this momentum moving ahead."

Up Next:
Air Force women's tennis (1-17, 0-10 MW) takes on the 2024 Mountain West Championships, held at the Darling Tennis Center in Las Vegas, Apr. 24-27.

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