The Next Level – University of Nebraska

Overseas action

When I set my mind to something, I like to see it through. 

Through a lot of hard work, I was able to make college tennis a reality.

However, since I was pretty late in the response, I wasn’t sure if I was eligible to play Division I tennis — let alone be good enough to compete at that level.

My coaches and I decided that Division II would be the right fit, so I made plans to attend one of the top DII tennis programs at the University of Indianapolis. 

I learned a lot during my time in Indianapolis. Both on and off the court.

In the last fall of my three seasons with Indy, I became a national champion and spent time at the top of Division II rankings, so when I talked with my family, coaches and friends, everyone pushed me to move to the Division I level.

Becoming a national champion gave me lots and lots of confidence that I could really make this work.

Plus, my career aspirations had grown even higher than I first thought – I wanted to play professionally in the future.

Since I still had two years of eligibility left, I knew a step up to Division I would help me challenge myself and hopefully increase my game even further.

When I entered the transfer portal, I remember talking to Sean Maymi and Nebraska — but at the time, I was committed to playing more outdoor tennis as I felt like this was what I needed. 

So, I committed to Fresno State.

I packed my bags out west and hopped in my car and drove from Indianapolis to Fresno.

But, life doesn’t always turn out exactly how you think it will.

Me and my teammates soon learned that Fresno State was eliminating the men’s tennis program after our season was over.

Our coach was honest with us and gave us the option to transfer away immediately — or we could stay and finish the season.

We really didn’t know what the future would hold, but every one of us decided to stick around. Despite the unfortunate circumstances, it was an amazing experience to fight for each other.

With my plans once again thrown off course, the place for me to spend my final year of college stood out immediately — Nebraska.