Niroshan Feels A Sense Of Home In Starkville
March 06, 2024 | Women's Tennis
STARKVILLE – Dharani Niroshan didn't know what to expect when she packed up from her hometown of Toronto and moved more than 1,000 miles to Mississippi State to attend college and play tennis.
But after almost two years of being a Bulldog, Niroshan has not only found a sense of family but also a feeling of home in the small, Southern town that is at the opposite end of the spectrum from her Canadian roots.
"Honestly, I was a little nervous going from Toronto to a little town in Mississippi," Niroshan said. "But I really like it. It gives you the space to focus on the things that matter the most. It's a nice reset from the big city. One of my favorite things is how much the fans love us and how much support we get from them. Tennis isn't as big of a sport as football or baseball, so it's pretty huge when people are recognizing you and showing up to all of our matches to come support us, so it means a lot."
Playing high level tennis has always been the goal for Niroshan ever since she picked up a racket at age 4. But it wasn't until she quit soccer and dance a few years later to focus solely on tennis that she started to turn those lofty dreams into an attainable reality.
"By the age of 12 or 13, I was saying I wanted to play tennis college in the (United) States," Niroshan said. "I've always known that I wanted to play tennis at a high level and have been working towards that since I was little, right from the beginning."
One of her inspirations to play college tennis – particularly at Mississippi State – came from current teammate and fellow Canuck, Alexandra Mikhailuk.
"Alex is a big part of the reason I came here," Niroshan said. "I've looked up to her since juniors. I just saw how much she loves it here and how much she's grown here and that made me want to come here. Starkville is like a hidden gem. You fall more in love with it the longer you're here."
Niroshan arrived in Starkville last season as a three-time Canadian doubles champion and immediately racked up 20 total wins for the Bulldogs during her freshman campaign. She also clinched the most matches of any MSU player in 2023.
But it wasn't until a new coaching staff consisting of Chris Hooshyar, Taylor Russo and Noah Tipped came in this past fall that Niroshan and her teammates really started to find their strides on the court.
"I think we were definitely pushed harder this fall," Niroshan said. "I think these coaches know how to bring out our best games, either from the new drills that we're doing on court or the way that they push us. They know how to bring out our strengths, which really helps in terms of our confidence when things get tough during a match."
It wasn't long before success began backing up Niroshan's inclinations about the new staff. She started the fall of her sophomore year with a sparkling 6-2 singles record and reached the quarterfinals of the ITA Southern Regional in late October where she fell to the eventual tournament winner.
"I feel like Dharani had one of the best falls out of any girl this season," Russo said. "From August to November, she was one of the hardest workers. I think a real breakthrough moment when we had her write down what her goals were with what she wanted to accomplish and what she could control. A lot of it wasn't even tennis related. A lot of it was just enjoying the game again and learning to love the process, trust it and love the fight.
"Regionals were a really good week for her where she believed that she could do this. She made the quarters of regionals, which I don't think had happened for a long time. She lost to the girl who ended up winning the tournament. That was a breakthrough moment for her and she's tried to carry that momentum into the spring."
Niroshan has continued to expand upon her successful sophomore showing and is currently second on the team with 11 singles victories this season. She also makes up half of the Bulldogs' winningest doubles tandem alongside Alessia Tagliente. That duo tops State in wins and has come out on top in 10 of their last 13 matches together.
Niroshan hasn't even reached the halfway point of her college career. But she has realized that Mississippi State and Starkville have become an unexpected second home for her and has already made a sizeable impact in such a short amount of time.
"If you had told me even three years ago that this school and even Starkville, Mississippi was going to be such a huge part of my life, I never would've believed you," Niroshan said. "This place is becoming such a huge part of me and my heart. The people here, the fans, my coaches and my team are becoming my family. This place is always going to mean so, so much to me."
Players Mentioned
