M'Balia Bangoura Season 2017-18

Q&A with M'Balia Bangoura

Honors & Awards

• Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Award (2018)
• Academic All-Big Ten (2018)
• Nebraska Herman Award (2018)
• Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll (Fall 2016, 2017, 2018; Spring 2017, 2018)
• Tom Osborne Citizenship Team (2017, 2018)
• Ranked No. 50 Nationally (2016)
• Ranked No. 87 in USTA Standings (2016)
• Herald-Tribune Girls Tennis Player of the Year (2016)
• ODA Female Athlete of the Year (2015)
• Class 1A State Doubles Champion (2016)
• Class 1A State Singles Champion (2015)
• Class 1A State Singles Runner-up (2016)
• ODA Most Valuable Player (2015, 2016)

Fall 2018

M'Balia Bangoura did not participate in the fall season. 

2018-19 Outlook

Bangoura will enter her third regular season with Nebraska. She hopes to add depth during 2019 season while competing to be in the Huskers’ top six and the doubles groupings. 

Head Coach Scott Jacobson said, “M’Balia has worked really hard and has spent a ton of time on the court this summer. She really wants to be a part of our top six and has put in the work to be right up there. Her quickness, agility, and overall movement on the court has improved dramatically and we certainly believe she has the potential for greatness.”

2017-18: Sophomore

After putting together eight wins during her fall invitational campaign, M'Balia Bangoura played a role in the Huskers' impressive regular-season performance.

The sophomore from Bradenton, Fla., saw most of her action at the No. 6 singles position in the Husker lineup. Bangoura put together a 2-2 record at that spot, which included victories over South Dakota and Penn State.

Alongside Elizabeth Gould, Bangoura posted a 6-0 win at the No. 3 doubles position against Southern Illinois-Edwardsville.

Bangoura was one of two Husker womens tennis players awarded the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sport Scholar Award for the for her notable work in the classroom and on the court. She was also an academic All-Big Ten selection.

2016-17: Freshman

A five-star recruit out of Florida, Bangoura made an immediate impact with the Huskers, earning nine singles wins during the season. As a doubles player, she amassed seven wins and picked up a Big Ten victory along the way. Off the court, she was named to the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team and the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll in both the fall and the spring. 

Before Nebraska
Bangoura, one of two Florida signees, holds an overall junior record of 46-25. A two-time state champion, Bangoura won singles in 2015, doubles in 2016 and placed as a finalist for singles in 2016. Bangoura was named Female Athlete of the Year for the Out-of-Door Academy she attended in Sarasota, Florida. Under head coach Noel Dougherty, Bangoura was named MVP of her tennis team in 2015 and 2016. Outside of tennis, Bangoura also earned a varsity letter for golf, and was an Honor Roll student during all four years of high school.

Personal
The daughter of Sekou Bangoura Sr. and Cheryl Bangoura, M’Balia was born on Jan. 7, 1998 in Bradenton. She has one brother, Sekou Bangoura Jr. A broadcasting major, M'Balia earned academic All-Big Ten honors in 2018. She is a five-time Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll selection. She was a member of the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team in 2017, 2018.

Why Bangoura Chose Nebrasaka
"I chose Nebraska because of the atmosphere and because the team was very friendly."

Singles

Year	Spring	Big Ten	Fall	Total
2016-17	4-3	0-3	5-5	9-8
2017-18	2-2	0-1	6-6	8-6
2018-19
Totals	6-5	0-4	11-11	17-14

Doubles

Year	Spring	Big Ten	Fall	Total
2016-17	2-1	1-0	5-3	7-4
2017-18	1-0	--	3-5	4-5
2018-19
Totals	3-1	1-0	8-8	11-9