Joining The Huskers

As a little kid, I loved playing tennis in the summer. 

Riding my bike to practice, spending the day at the courts, and being with friends. 

Tennis has continued to shape my life since I began to play. 

I fell in love with the sport as a player and then all over again as a coach. 

It's taken me all over the world and given me some of the greatest memories of my life.  

But before all that, tennis was the game my family and I bonded over. 

Bonded By Tennis 

My parents have always been supportive of my tennis journey and my career as a player and coach over the years.   

My dad taught my brothers and I how to play tennis when we were kids, and before that, he taught my mom how to play when they met. He's a USPTA certified High Performance coach and wanted to share his love of tennis with us. 

Throughout my playing career, I bounced ideas off my dad whenever I could and now as a coach, I enjoy sharing some of the lessons I have learned with him as well. 

My parents always encouraged me to play other sports, too.  

It was never all tennis all the time. 

I took ballet lessons, played softball, basketball, and swam when I was younger, and then ran track and played tennis for the middle and high school teams. 

Being involved in so many different sports allowed me to learn new skills and see which sports I enjoyed the most to keep pursuing.

The Next Level 

When I committed to play college tennis at Syracuse University, I was looking forward to playing Division 1 tennis and taking my game to the next level.  

I was excited and honored to be a college athlete and learned a lot about myself on and off the court.  

Continuing to be on a team and playing for more than just myself was a great experience.  

I learned to value competing even more and that each match was a battle to keep fighting for my team.  

My senior year of college, I was fortunate to play number one singles and doubles. Playing against such high-level opponents each week elevated my game and helped me to develop and believe in myself more. 

After finishing my collegiate career, I was prepared to move to the next level and play professional tennis with strong encouragement from my college coaches. I kept growing as an athlete and won 12 ITF Doubles Titles and achieved a WTA career high doubles ranking of No. 294 and singles ranking of No. 896.  

It was a rewarding and tough path that took me to a lot of amazing places around the world. The lessons I learned from my coaches and from playing were things I wanted to pass on and share with other players when I started coaching at the collegiate level.  

Coaching With a Player's Perspective 

I've always been interested in college coaching as a way to stay in the sport of tennis and be able to give back to the sport that had given me so much. 

While I was still playing professionally, I started my coaching career at Kenyon College, where I served as the assistant coach for both the men's and women's tennis programs. I was grateful for that opportunity because it allowed me to start in college coaching, learn from a great head coach, and continue to play at the same time.  

Transitioning from approaching tennis as a player to a coach taught me a lot. I learned to look beyond my own tendencies and understand the strategies that felt right to each of my student-athletes.  

Playing styles are individualized, so I learned how to adjust my view of the game to see it through each player's unique perspective.  

My time at Kenyon helped shape the coach I am today. 

After two very successful seasons at Kenyon, I was offered the assistant coaching position at Syracuse, and I felt like it was the right next step for me in my collegiate coaching career.  

I was excited to return to my alma mater and was welcomed by a lot of familiar faces — academic advisors, athletic trainers, and strength and conditioning coaches who were there when I was a student athlete. 

I am thankful for the lessons I learned from the head coach, players and support staff at Syracuse to keep developing as a coach, including coaching at the NCAA team and individual tournaments.  

My time at Syracuse led me to the assistant coaching position for the women's program here at Nebraska.  

I am so grateful that Coach Dalmagro trusted me with this wonderful opportunity.  

My first impression was that everyone was so kind and welcoming. 

Additionally, I have enjoyed working in college coaching with my older brother, who is the head coach of the men's tennis program at Nebraska.  

Tennis is still something we can bond over.  

Right away, I saw this team was ready to get to work.  

I'm encouraged by the resiliency and toughness our team showed last season.  

We faced some challenges during the season, but our players trust the process. I was so proud of the team for how they competed at the Big Ten Tournament. That tournament celebrated their growth over the season and how they embraced each challenge.  

I can't wait to continue to push our program to new heights while supporting a strong balance of hard work on the court and in the classroom. 

A Positive Approach 

I’ve always played my best tennis when I was able to stay positive and keep a good attitude on the court. It's important to me to try to pass that attitude on to the student athletes I coach. 

Celebrating the small steps is something I learned as a player. In my coaching career so far, the most fulfilling part is being able to see an athlete celebrate their success when they apply a strategy or shot they have been working on in practice into a match and start to believe in themselves even more.     

The more I talk with them and learn how they see the court and what they're trying to do with their game style, the better I can be as their coach.  

I believe in building strong communication and collaboration with the student-athletes to help them be successful. 

It's really rewarding to see them trust in the process and have that belief in themselves and their teammates.  

I've been so impressed with the program here at Nebraska.  

I want to help this team take the next step and leave its mark in NCAA and in the conference, especially as we welcome new teams to the Big Ten.  

I'm so grateful to be a part of the Husker family, and I can't wait to see what the future holds.