Kristen Poei and Cal State Northridge teammate Mickey Hsu have won twice as many doubles matches together as any other tennis players in school history.
Is it a skill or talent or a unique connection the two might share that have led to that success?
Actually, it’s quite simple.
“We’ve played a lot together,” Poei said.
The 2013 ‘Iolani graduate is a two-time All-Big West first-team selection in doubles. She’s posted a career winning percentage of .627 (42-25) in singles play, but her doubles game with Hsu has brought about many accolades.
They are 50-22 as a duo, with most of those wins coming in the No. 1 position for the Matadors.
Most times a player will have multiple doubles partners throughout their college career, but Poei and Hsu have been together for all but two of Poei’s career doubles matches.
“Usually doubles partners come and go, but Mickey and I have been together every year and we’ve really gotten better every year,” Poei said. “With her I feel like I don’t even have to try in a way because we know each other so well and we communicate so well and have played so long that we usually know what each other is thinking.”
Poei is one of three tennis players from Hawaii playing at CSUN, which is more than any other Division I school.
Scout Shutter is a junior who graduated from Punahou the same year Poei finished up at ‘Iolani, but she redshirted with an injury during her sophomore season.
Skyla Alcon is a sophomore from Mid-Pacific who has won six doubles matches and five singles matches this year.
Poei insists none of the three knew each other in high school and it’s simply a coincidence they all ended up at the same school.
They have traveled back home to Hawaii together each of the past two seasons and joke that they have more players from the islands on their team than the Rainbow Wahine.
“It’s a real cool experience to come home and play because our parents don’t get to see us (play) often and every time I come down there, I have aunties and uncles and grandparents that all come out. It’s kind of funny because we joke we have more fans on our side than the home team.”
The Matadors failed to advance past the semifinals of the Big West championships in Poei’s previous three seasons.
CSUN is 8-8 overall and 2-2 in conference play with four BWC matches coming up over the next three weeks.
The Matadors lost to Hawaii and Long Beach State and beat UC Riverside and Cal Poly. All four matches were on the road.
The next four are all at home.
“This is the big part of our season coming up,” Poei said. “This team is actually the team I will miss the most because I’ve grown with my fellow seniors for almost four years now and it’s going to be sad not to see each other’s faces at practice or cheer each other on.”
Poei has taken on the added responsibility of sharing team captain duties.
Her four years at CSUN have taught her a lot about herself and forced her to grow up quickly. Those traits she’s picked up she hopes will rub off on her teammates.
“I remember being a freshman and being very naive and innocent and not really speaking my mind because I was scared to do so,” Poei said. “Playing college tennis has really made me independent and forced me to do things on my own and motivate myself and I think all of that is really important in the real world.
“I feel like I’ve become a better person and a better student-athlete and a better teammate because of everything I have learned and I hope to make sure everyone on the team can feel the same way when they are ready to graduate.”
