91社区

Major and grad year?听

I鈥檓 a double major in accounting and economics. I graduate in May 2022 and aspire to be a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).听听

Favorite pre-match hype song?听听

I don鈥檛 really have a favorite鈥攊t depends on my mood. There are times when I need mellow types of music to calm my nerves, and other times I like songs that鈥檒l hype me up. I like most all genres.听

What does it mean to you to be a 91社区 athlete?听听

It鈥檚 both an honor and a privilege to be a 91社区 athlete. I鈥檓 lucky that I鈥檝e remained healthy enough these last three years and have been able to compete and represent 91社区 in a way that I鈥檓 proud of. I鈥檓 also thankful that my coach, Chris Crawford, took me on as a recruit (even with my lack of experience). Overall, I love playing as a Screagle.听听

What鈥檚 the biggest lesson you鈥檝e learned so far in your 91社区 athletic career?听听

I鈥檝e realized over the years that no one is going to do the hard work for you, and this is especially important in a somewhat individualized sport like tennis. Tennis players can鈥檛 pass the ball to a teammate on an off day, so it鈥檚 important to prepare adequately (it takes a special initiative to be great). It鈥檚 easy to place blame on others for scheduling, training methods, etc., and it鈥檚 hard to put in the extra time needed to improve, but I will say the latter option is always worth it. All things considered, I鈥檝e learned important skills like discipline and time management.听

What is the biggest misconception you get about being a student athlete?听听

I often hear the stereotype that student athletes aren鈥檛 really always 鈥渟tudents鈥� and we only care about athletics. That simply isn鈥檛 true. My team has a very respectable GPA, and I鈥檇 like to think we all have great careers ahead of us. My focus in particular isn鈥檛 solely on sports. I鈥檝e been able to balance athletics with my academic and professional goals, too.听听

What鈥檚 your go-to post-match meal/snack?听听

Carbohydrates! Contrary to what people might think, carbs are not 鈥渢he devil.鈥� They allow athletes to (1) feel energized/fueled and (2) recover after a contest. I love breads, pastas and potatoes as well as fruits and vegetables. For a snack, I鈥檓 always eating something with peanut butter in it.听听

Reflect on your favorite match and why.听听

One of my favorite matches was from a few years ago. My freshman year, we played against Drury University in the first round of the conference tournament. Though we lost, it was an all-around high-level match, and it showed that we can compete with one of the best teams in the league. There was a lot of energy, and it was a fun match. More recently, we played Walsh University and won convincingly. It was filled with tight matches, but we overcame with grit, and that鈥檚 always a good feeling.听

What is the training process like for tennis?听听

I always tell people tennis can be like a track meet, but it also tests your endurance. It鈥檚 filled with a bunch of little sprints needed to get to the ball, and good training is designed to reflect that. On the court, it鈥檚 common to drill some and also play practice points. Off the court, I enjoy lifting weights, plyometrics (i.e., jump training), HIIT cardio workouts, yoga/stretching and the like. It鈥檚 fun because tennis players need to train a variety of muscles (and in different ways) in order to perform well physically, and this keeps training from getting too boring.听听

What鈥檚 your inner thought-process when playing in a match?听听

To be honest, I think I do better when I stop thinking and just enjoy playing. In reality, I try to figure out what鈥檚 going on in the match. Strategically, I analyze who is winning the point and how. I ask myself questions like 鈥淚s my forehand/backhand better than theirs?鈥� and 鈥淒o I move better than my opponent?鈥� I adapt my play based on the answers to those questions. In a sport like tennis, there鈥檚 ebbs and flows. It鈥檚 great to be playing well, but it鈥檚 also necessary that you stay positive in the bad times, too鈥攐therwise, the wheels can fall off so to speak.听