Jefferson P. Nolan
jnolan@mustangdaily.net

As long as he can remember, Andre Dome has had a routine.

Beginning when he was 8 years old, his father would have the young tennis player repeat the exact same drill in practice. It was drill after drill, day after day.

“It was all repetition,” Dome said. “Looking back at it, I see why my dad did that. It was consistent. I still do the same thing every week. I’ve got a routine.”

The habit continued when he left home and started college. At the beginning of each quarter, Dome develops a pattern of when he eats, when he trains and when he studies. But after completing his last season in a Cal Poly tennis uniform, the two-time men’s tennis Big West Player of the Year will have to make a few adjustments.

Ranked 29th in the nation by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, Dome will embark on a journey to the University of Illinois to compete in the NCAA tournament on May 23 before graduating in June.

And as Dome dons a cap and gown to receive his diploma, Cal Poly will let go one of the best tennis players to ever step between the lines of the Mustangs’ courts.

Born in Indonesia, Dome began playing tennis when he moved to Arroyo Grande at age 5. By the time he graduated high school, he was considered one of the top 10 tennis recruits in the nation. Realistically, he could have gone to school anywhere.

But while programs across the nation recruited the budding talent, Dome had different plans. He wanted to stay close to home.

“My mom’s been to every single home match,” Dome said. “(My parents) have just done so much for me. They are my backbone.”

And even for Dina Dome, it came as a shock to her that her son chose to play for the Mustangs.

“I was so surprised when he chose to come to Cal Poly because I wanted him to decide for himself,” Dina said.

He made his mark during his first season on campus. As a freshman, Dome was Cal Poly’s highest ranked player and earned Big West Freshman of the Year honors.

Ian Billings/Mustang Daily

In his second year, Dome’s routine was shattered. Following irritation in his hip throughout his freshman year, Dome consulted doctors who said he strained his groin. However, after getting a second opinion before the start of his sophomore year, Dome decided to have hip surgery which forced him to sit out the season.

Instead of dominating on the court, he was struggling to walk.

“(Having surgery) was probably the biggest thing in my life that I’ve been through because I couldn’t play tennis for six months,” Dome said. “That gave me a new perspective on things, especially tennis.”

It was during his time on crutches that Dome began to change as a player. He wrote a list of things in which he wanted to improve — in his game and in school. Re-committing himself to doing the hard work, Dome wanted to return to the courts as a new player. And as he does best, he developed a routine.

“I focused on getting my cardio back and started swimming every morning,” Dome said. “I tried  to get my schedule back. I wanted to come back stronger, and it was just a commitment to everything else but tennis, and that helped my tennis. I was ready.”

Returning from a medical redshirt season, Dome claimed all-conference first team honors in his 2010-11 season after recording a 19-5 overall record at the No. 1 singles spot.

And it was in his junior year that he and the men’s tennis team made program history by claiming Cal Poly’s first Big West Conference championship.

“Growing up here and going to the Cal Poly matches, I’ve just seen so many generations of players that haven’t done that,” Dome said. “You can cheer (on your teammates) as much as you want and support them, but at the end of the day, it’s your teammate playing. That’s why it is my best memory out of college; it was pretty special.”

After the Mustangs were eliminated in the second round of the Big West tournament this past season, his senior year, Dome had accumulated an overall record of 23-4 and ended with a perfect record in conference, going 6-0 as the team’s co-captain.

“With a team, when we lose a match, I feel like it’s my fault,” Dome said. “I would say, ‘What do I have to do next time for the guys to win the match?’ Whenever we had a loss, I would work a little bit harder. Maybe that would help the team win the 4-3 matches.”

Head coach Nick Carless saw Dome rise as a tennis star in the past two seasons and has witnessed his best player lead the team by example.

“He’s going to be almost impossible to replace,” Carless said. “I’ve seen players who’ve been top 10  in the country go to college and not get better. I think he set a great standard for what the No. 1 player at Cal Poly should try and be like.”

But while Dina is proud of all her son has accomplished on the court, the newly recognized American citizen simply can’t wait to see her only child step up on graduation day to receive his diploma. It’s something she never got to do.

“This is a dream come true,” she said. “It’s my dream too. My dream is that my son will graduate from college.”

And as Dome’s collegiate career ends, his mother will watch, proud as ever, as he chases a dream of his own — to play the game he loves as a professional.

“Not being able to come back in September and go to classes … that’ll scare anybody,” Dome said. “I’m not going to have the routine I have had here. It’s going to be a shock to me, but I’m going to have to adjust.”

And with the eyes of Cal Poly on the simplistic creature of habit, Dome will fight to find his groove in the next chapter of his tennis career.