NMMI Sports Press
Bronco tennis player Manuella Eloundou made it official earlier this week, putting pen to paper as she signed her national letter of intent to play for the Chicago State Cougars.
Eloundou, and twin sister Linda, arrived at NMMI from their home country of Cameroon in the spring of 2021. The Broncos finished 17th at nationals that year, where the sisters took out the eighth-seeded doubles team.
The twins made it to the national semi-final match at the end of the 2022 season. Manuella Eloundou finished the season as the No. 37 JUCO D1 player in the nation.
Eloudou said she wasn’t sure what to expect before arriving at NMMI, but she surprised herself by assimilating quickly.
“I still think military life is hard, but I’m proud of my time here,” she said. “I think for anyone to come here and be successful is a big accomplishment, but especially as a student-athlete. I learned a lot about time management and critical thinking, which is valuable no matter what you do in life.”
Eloundou had two coaches during her time as a Bronco, both of which helped her raise the level of her game and instilled lessons that will apply to tennis as well as life in general.
“My first coach was Nathaniel Horner. He taught me to never give up and work hard for what I want,” she said. “My second coach was Clyde Williamson. He was the best. He taught me how to be calm and humble so that I can give the best of myself during every match, but also in life. He really helped me with my mental game.”
Eloudou said she enjoyed her academic career at NMMI and believes it will prepare her for the next step in her education.
“I loved the challenge of some of the classes and lessons,” she said. “It made me push my limits and grow as a person. It was a great experience and I can’t think everyone enough.”
Linda will be headed to Eastern Michigan to play tennis. Manuella could have followed, but the sisters decided it was time to split up, even though they know they will miss each other.
“I had a great time playing doubles with my sister,” Manuella Eloundou said. “I feel like we improved a lot while we were here. I think it will be weird at first, not being together all the time, but we won’t be too far from each other.”
Chicago State is independent, while Eastern Michigan is a member of the Mid-American Conference, meaning the twins had no guarantee that their teams would meet on the court. But as luck would have it, the two schools will meet on Feb. 10, 2023.
“When my coach first sent me the schedule and I saw it, we both laughed,” Eloudou said. “It’ll depend on our position whether or not we’ll play each other.”