University of Tennessee Athletics
Serve & Volley: Mikelis Libietis
March 18, 2015 | Men's Tennis
By Amanda Pruitt
UTSports.com
As Mikelis Libietis enters the final months of his Tennessee career, it has been one career milestone after another for the lineup leader.
Riding the wave of his current career-best 15-match winning streak, Libietis has been on a steady climb back up the singles rankings. After an injury plagued up-and-down junior season that ended in both an NCAA doubles title and a fractured elbow, Libietis is again playing his athletic brand of tennis that pushed him into the college elite two years ago.
Libietis is now ranked 14th nationally with a 17-2 record as the Vols prepare for a key road match Thursday at Vanderbilt.
In doubles, Libietis and Hunter Reese are building their case as one of the most accomplished doubles teams in college tennis history. The NCAA champs are currently second in the rankings and recorded their 90th career win together on Saturday against South Carolina.
Before the Vols hit the road, Libietis covers a wealth of topics from his family's upcoming trip to Knoxville to his winning-streak beard and the traveling Latvian flag.
Q: The team is a few weeks into SEC play and has won two of the last three matches. What have you seen from the team the last few matches?
A: The last matches it's been a lot better since going to Kentucky. Even though Georgia didn't go our way, we were really close to winning the doubles point, and I think that would have helped a lot in that matchup. South Carolina was the best match we've played yet as a team. Everyone played really well, which helped me a lot to relax. Even though I was down, I felt really good. We've been getting better, and that's a positive.
Q: The team is a real mix of newcomers and veterans, and not many people in between. What kind of growth have you see from the younger players?
A: What I can see in the negative way is that after we lose the doubles point, the freshmen kind of carry it into singles, but they're starting to get a lot better with it. They know how to handle it, so that's positive to see, how they're recognizing it. Jack (Schipanski) isn't really a freshmen. He's seen how the matches work. I think Jack's done really well, especially in SEC play. He's been in every match. For Luis (Valero), college sports is way different from all the junior tournaments and everything. I think he's starting to get more used to the crowds and how vocal everything is on court. Every week, they're playing a lot better, and they're starting to help us out a lot.
Q: Last year, you dealt with a lot of injuries and that kind of thing. How were you able to put everything back together, and how is your game going right now?
A: I'm feeling really confident right now. After last year, I had so many injuries. After NCAAs, I had a fracture in my elbow. I took four months off and kind of reset what I want to do. My junior year was such a struggle. I didn't play well. Now I've been more healthy than I usually am. I can practice more. I can do a lot more things that I need for my game. Also, one thing is that I'm really excited to go pro. I kind of want to get everything out of college that I can. I'm doing my best in practices and matches because I know it's my last go around. I'm really excited for every match I play. Seeing all these friends from all these other teams and it's our last time to play, I don't know when I'm going to see them again and I'm going to go out there and prove what I have.
I'm really confident right now in my game. I'm not thinking a lot on the court really. I just go out there and play. At the start of the year, I told the coaches I thought this was the most talented team I've been on. We haven't put it together yet, but we're working on it. I need to do my job and play as well as I am right now.
Q: In the Kentucky match, it was really close and you were able to stay locked in to the end. Do you feel like mentally you've taken another step this year?
A: Yeah, I think so. A lot of it has to do with confidence. In the Kentucky match, I didn't play that well. I was able to hang in the match and do the things I do well in the clutch moments. The confidence I have in myself right now is that I'm not going to lose. The guy has to really beat me for me to lose. Mentally, the confidence helps so much.
Q: Now, for fans who saw you this weekend, they see you've got a beard going. You've claimed it's staying through the rest of your winning streak. What's the story there?
A: First, I just didn't shave. Then I didn't lose. Then I thought, 'Well, maybe if I lose, I'll shave.' The streak has been 15 matches now, and I still haven't shaved, so I really can't do that now, you know? I haven't shaved since Christmastime, so yeah, hopefully I don't shave the whole year.
Q: Do you have any idea what you will look like then?
A: (laughs) No, no. I have no idea. All I know is that it doesn't look great. But I don't look in the mirror, so it's all good.
Q: A few years ago, you got a Latvian flag from one of your friends from another team who was graduating. Now that you are coming into the last few months here, do you have plans for where that flag will go?
A: I got the flag from my really good friend from South Carolina State (Peteris Vinogradovs). He had this idea that he would put a South Carolina State sticker on it. Then he sent it to me. My plan is to put a Tennessee sticker on it and send it somewhere else. Right now, I know there's one Latvian girl playing tennis at LSU. I think she's a freshman or sophomore. I know her from back home really well. It could go over there. Also, there's a tennis player at Pepperdine. She's (Ernests) Gulbis' stepsister, so I kind of know her as well. So we'll see. A lot of basketball players I knew from my age, they're starting to graduate as well. I want to find someone who just got to college and can be there for a while. I don't know. I haven't done a lot of thinking about it, but it would be cool to get it somewhere on the west coast. South Carolina State was on the east coast. Tennessee is more on the east side, so probably we need to talk to talk to him. Maybe he knows someone in the states as well.
Q: Another cool thing coming into the final stretch of your career is that your family is coming in to see you play on Senior Day. What's that going to be like to finally have a family member come see you play and also having them here in Knoxville?
A: Yeah, I'm really excited. My dad and my brother are coming. My brother is really excited. He just called me, and was was asking what was going to happen, where he was staying. He was just really excited. I'm more happy for them that they are going to know where I was for four years and meet my coaches and meet my teammates. I know my dad is going to be really excited to meet all my coaches and talk to them and see what they have to say about me and things like that. It's going to be cool that they can finally come here and meet everybody and see how I play over here.
Q: What are some of the things you've enjoyed about being here at Tennessee and in Knoxville?
A: New relationships. I have so many good teammates. I can go back to Ed Jones, Bryan (Swartz), Taylor (Patrick) and all these guys. I still talk to them now. It's about all the relationships I've had and how they've changed over the years with the coaching staff, especially right now. The relationship is so good that sometimes you don't even need to talk to them. They already know what you're thinking. I know what they're thinking.
Also, for my tennis, I think I made the best decision to come to Tennessee. Coach Sam really pushed me. I think in other places it wouldn't have happened so well. I've improved my tennis a lot over here, so I'm really grateful for that. Chris and Ben have been at the top level of tennis. It was an amazing, great decision for me.
Q: You and Hunter got your rings and were honored out at Neyland Stadium for your NCAA title last year. What was that experience like and then also knowing you still have work to do?
A: The feeling when we got the rings and were out at Neyland was unreal. You can't describe it. I got goosebumps and everything. It was really cool. At the same time, you think about repeating if it's possible. For me personally, our season's been a little up and down. We've been winning some matches and losing some matches. For me, it's a little bit about focus. The new format in doubles right now is not great for me and Hunter. It's a lot of lottery, I would say. You can't really show what you have. You lose one service game and the match is basically over. The feeling was great getting the rings, and you know that hasn't been done in a long time.
Q: You play a very athletic style that you don't see a lot of in college tennis. You're at the baseline and moving up, running and jumping. If you already had the sport specific skills, what other sport would you play at Tennessee if you could?
A: Probably basketball because I love basketball in general. I played it when I was younger for six or seven years. That's my other passion to tennis. I think I'm athletic enough to play basketball. I'm not really into baseball because I haven't really been around it and football too. It's a very different sport.
Q: Now into some random questions ... If you had a super power you could use on the tennis court, what would you want?
A: I would say lightning speed. Balls can't get by you and you could surprise everyone at the net. I think that would be pretty cool.
Q: If the team formed a band, who would be the lead singer?
A: The lead singer of our team? Wow. Savi. (Bartosz Sawicki). He'd be the lead singer. (Brandon) Fickey would be drums.
Q: Would you participate in this band?
A: I would like to play guitar. I don't know to play it though.
Q: Could you play Guitar Hero?
A: Yeah, I could play Guitar Hero probably, but that's easier than actual guitar.
Q: If you were on a deserted island that for some reason had a plasma TV, what show would be on?
A: Suits or Entourage, probably my two favorite shows.
Q: Who do you think is the best driver on the team?
A: I can say who's the worst. I think Jess (Jones) is the worst on the team. Best driver? I'm really confident riding with Brandon. It kind of plays into his personality. (laughs) When he's focused in, there are no distractions. He's really good.
Q: You've traveled everyone, so what's the most unusual food you've ever eaten?
A: I'm not really a foodie. I always eat the same foods, so I don't try much. One experience I had was actually in Knoxville. I tried Ethiopian food. I didn't like it, but I tried it. I would not recommend it. Maybe some people like it, but I don't.
Q: What's a traditional Latvian meal?
A: I would say fresh potatoes and chicken fillets. That would be traditional foods. We also have what's called shashlyk. It's kind of a Russian thing, but in Latvia, we eat a lot of it as well. It's actually my favorite food from back home. It's like pork cut into little squares. I love it. On Christmas break, I went to Vegas to see my girlfriend, and they have Russian restaurants over there. I go there a lot to get the food. It feels like home.
Q: Have you ever had pets?
A: When I was younger, we had a rabbit. Her name was Sheila. She was really cool. Because I lived in an apartment my whole life, we didn't have a lot of space for a dog, but I would like a dog when I grow up. I'm a dog person.
