The Comerford Pavilion, Cal Poly’s newest tennis clubhouse, has become a powerful symbol of community and pride for athletes like Peyton Dunkle, women’s tennis team captain and a business administration senior.
Having been part of the team throughout her years at Cal Poly, Dunkle said her senior year feels especially meaningful, thanks to the Comerford Pavilion, which has fostered a new sense of connection by allowing her to feel the support of fans from home.
“I played on center court [recently], and it was just so cool to see everyone sitting over the court,” Dunkle said. “[Looking] up and seeing all the support was an amazing feeling.”
Adjacent to the Mustang Tennis Complex, the two-story, 5000-square-foot facility features updated locker rooms, coaches’ offices, a viewing deck for fans and NCAA championship lighting. The tennis community celebrated the pavilion’s official opening on Nov. 2 with a ribbon cutting ceremony, according to Jenna Tognazzini, associate athletic director for development.
With a budget of $10 million, the project was entirely funded by over 60 supporters throughout its two-year construction, Tognazzini said. Kevin and Carolyn Comerford were the lead donors on the project.
In addition to a fitness center, the pavilion also offers a nutrition center open for athletes from all sports, Tognazzini explained.
“It’s their home away from home [and] is a really versatile space for them,” she said. “Watching the student athletes first see it was the best reaction.”
Outside of serving students currently at Cal Poly, the pavilion also shows promise for the future of Cal Poly tennis, Men’s Tennis Head Coach Nick Carless said.
“What [the renovation] has done is make the future so exciting,” Carless said. “The possibilities now for Cal Poly tennis have really grown, especially from a recruiting standpoint.”
The pavilion has also benefited Carless’ day-to-day by providing him with a personalized office, he said.
“[The new space allows] me to get work done here on campus more efficiently, and I’m also just more motivated to want to be on campus in my office,” Carless said. “It’s got a view of Madonna [Mountain] too; I definitely got an upgrade to the office space.”
For Sean Kamyshev, men’s tennis captain and a business administration sophomore, the renovated locker rooms are his favorite part of the new space.
“We went from having one of the worst facilities in California to having one of the best, if not the best,” Kamyshev said.
Right now, the men’s and women’s teams are concluding their individual play off-season and will be transitioning to official team play for the rest of the academic year, Dunkle said.
For Dunkle, this new facility goes beyond just tennis and has established a sense of belonging for her and her team.
“We finally get that feeling, a sense of belonging that we’re seen on campus,” Dunkle said. “This is our second home and the fact that this is our facility is a surreal feeling.”
Aditi Sriram contributed to the reporting of this story
