The Daniela duo: Herrera and Casique find victory at the ITA tournament
The Daniela duo: Herrera and Casique find victory at the ITA tournament
Daniela Herrera and Daniela Casique reflect on their tennis journey after recently competing at the ITA tournament and claiming the women’s doubles championship.
Recently, the Bethel Tennis Team participated in the ITA tournament for the Central-West Region, hosted by Kansas Wesleyan. This event brings together the region’s top singles and doubles players, making for intense competition.
Bethel’s top-seeded doubles team, Daniela Herrera from Ziel Viajes Chihuahua, Mexico, and Daniela Casique from Valencia, Venezuela, entered the tournament as the number one seed. Both Herrera and Casique have been passionate about tennis from a young age. Herrera has been playing for over 14 years, while Casique started at the age of six.
Their early experiences in competitive tennis taught them valuable lessons. “I think it was in my first national tournament,” Herrera recalled. “The girl made me cry and that is where I learned that in tennis you have to be tough.”
Casique shared a similar story from one of her first tournaments. “My first tournament, I had to play against the first under 12, the first national girl, and she beat me zero and zero and that’s when I realized I wanted to beat her and I wanted to compete on a higher level.”
When asked who motivates her on the court, Casique emphasized both her family and herself. “At the end of the day I’m alone on the court, and I fight for myself and the things I want to accomplish,” she explained. “I would also say my mom and my dad since I know the effort they have put into everything related to me and my tennis.”
Herrera also emphasized the importance of her family when it comes to tennis. “My mom and my dad have both been there since the beginning.” Later in the conversation, she highlighted the role that her grandfather played throughout her life and shared, “He was one of my biggest fans…He would always call and ask how you feel and it doesn’t matter if you win or lose.”
Initially, Casique didn’t see herself playing tennis in the United States, especially after moving from Venezuela to Mexico and taking a three-year break from the sport. But after arriving in the U.S., she expressed gratitude for the opportunities she’s had. “It is like a dream come true,” said Casique. “I appreciate every day that I’m here and the people and experience I get to have.”
For Herrera, playing tennis in the U.S. was not unheard of in her family, and her step-dad even competed at a Division 1 level when he went to school in the U.S. “I wanted to have that experience that my step-dad had and now that I’m here it is something amazing and I’ve been accomplished.”
At the ITA regional tournament, Herrera and Casique claimed the women’s doubles championship. Despite tough matches leading up to the final, the duo focused on staying relaxed and enjoying the moment.
“We didn’t expect to be number one,” said Casique. “When we saw that we were like okay, we can actually make it.” She noted how much fun they had playing together, not just as teammates, but as friends.
Casique admitted to feeling nervous before the semifinals, but with support from Herrera, the coaches, and the team, she was able to perform well. “I had a little bit of pressure that I put on myself,” said Casique. “But we still made it through mainly because of the support Dani had as my partner and the support she gave me as my partner.”
Herrera expressed that her experience with playing in previous high-pressure situations helped her to keep a positive mindset. “I knew I needed to stay tough because of Dani, even if I missed a ball, it didn’t matter, even if she missed a ball it didn’t matter,” explained Herrera.
After their victory, both players reflected on how meaningful the experience was, not just for themselves, but for the support they received from their team. “It is one of those moments that you will remember,” said Casique. “Not only because of what you accomplished as an individual but because of the people around you and you realize who supports you and wants what’s best for you.”
“It is one of those moments that you will remember…Not only because of what you accomplished as an individual but because of the people around you and you realize who supports you and wants what’s best for you.”
Daniela Casique
Herrera echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the importance of team unity. “I don’t feel like this is a Dani or me win, it’s the team, the coaches, the practices, the support,” highlighted Casique. “It’s the combined actions that help us get there.”