Novansky Was A Quick Fit With The Bulldogs

STARKVILLE – Less than 10 days after arriving on Mississippi State’s campus, Michal Novansky was already on the court competing in a match for the Bulldogs.

Novansky arrived as a midyear enrollee in January, just in time for MSU’s dual match season to start. Since then, the true freshman from Trnavia, Slovakia has been an integral part of the 16^th-ranked Bulldogs’ success this spring.

“It’s cool to see him fit into our culture so easily,” said MSU assistant coach Jake Jacoby. “He loves being here and is seeing all the benefits on and off the court of being here. He’s learning a whole lot. We’ve had a good spring season so far and he’ll get to experience what it’s like to be a solid contender in the NCAAs. He’s maturing a lot as an older freshman and we enjoy having him.”

Novansky’s quick adaptation to his new surroundings was aided by having already established relationships with most of State’s roster before he ever arrived in Starkville. He met Nemanja Malesevic at an event overseas and actually played against Gregor Ramskogler in a tournament last summer. He was aware of fellow freshmen Petar Jovanovic and Benito Sanchez Martinez and had spoken to past players Giovanni Oradini and Florian Broska about their time as Bulldogs.

“It was easy to be a newcomer in the group,” Novansky said.

And while Novansky fit in with his new teammates right away, there were other aspects of the transition that were a little more difficult.

“It’s a new environment so there’s just general stuff to adjust to,” Novansky said. “From my country, there is a seven-hour difference. The practices are also a little harder so my body had to adjust to that. I also had to open up more to the boys and the coaches. School was also pretty tough and for the first month and a half, I felt a little bit lost. But now I’m on a great path.”

Novansky’s path has positioned him for positive results on the court as well. He has posted a 7-4 record in singles and is currently one-half of the nation’s No. 85 doubles team with Malesevic. That duo knocked off the fifth-ranked tandem in the country, Georgia’s Trent Bryde and Ethan Quinn, 6-2 on the road in the regular season finale.

Novansky, however, did not feel any pressure against such a highly-ranked opponent because he simply did not know what number they had beside their name going into…