In 1991, the Chicago State women's tennis team was flawless. The Cougars clawed their way to a 20-0 record, dismantling local stalwarts like Illinois State, DePaul and UIC.
But Titania Harris, a member of the squad, said perfection wasn't the prime target.
"We weren't thinking about that," Harris said. "We would go on a road trip and play our best. We started having competition within the team, like who was off the court first, who finished their match first or whose score was most dominating. We would do stuff like that to make it more competitive."
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The 1991 Chicago State Cougars during their reunion in January 2017.
Under head coach Lonnie Wooden, Harris and the 1991 Cougars became the first all-black college team to amass an unbeaten season at the NCAA level.
"I remember people used to say, 'Oh, they're so cute,'" Harris said. "We'd get off the bus, and they'd talk about us being cute. Then we'd beat them, and they'd be mad."
On National Girls & Women in Sports Day, Episode 7 of the Chi State Pod features Harris, who not only starred on one of Chicago State's greatest women's teams but also coached Chicago State tennis from 1996-2007. It is the next installment of our Black History Month podcast series, in which Harris shares stories of the grit, tenacious attitude and perfection of that team. Click below to listen to Harris' vivid accounts of the magical season:
Click here for more information on the 1991 Chicago State Cougars.
