GOLD RUSH: Veteran Leader
5/11/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
This article was originally published in the May 2016 edition of Gold Rush.
By Jay Reddick
Kimmy Guerin's favorite moment at Wake Forest was a match she didn't win.
Mind you, the junior has won plenty of tennis matches, but when asked to pick her best day, she chose this year's home win over No. 10 Virginia on March 20, when freshman Anna Ulyashchenko won a three-set thriller to close out the Cavaliers just after Guerin had lost her singles match.
The pick says a lot about Guerin, who has come to value team success and leadership during her three years in Winston-Salem.
The approach is paying off for WFU, which has climbed all the way into the top 15 nationally on the way to its best season in nearly a decade. The team has done it with a good mix of youth and experience–Guerin has been one of the veteran leaders at No. 1 singles and doubles, while a trio of freshmen played pivotal roles.
"The three freshmen have really been unbelievable," Guerin said. "I figured it would take them a couple of years to warm up, but they really took to the coaches and have turned this into a great season."
Guerin can draw inspiration from her own development at Wake Forest. Head coach Jeff Wyshner said her hard work has paid dividends to this day.
"She's motivated and has an incredible work ethic," Wyshner said. "The jump she made from freshman to sophomore was very impressive, and she's been able to continue that to become one of the most competitive players in the nation."
She rose into the nation's top 50 in early April, the highest ranking of her career, after getting her seventh spring win over a ranked opponent. And her doubles play, always strong, has risen to another level–in fact, before her singles loss against UVA, she and Ulyashchenko helped the Deacons earn the doubles point.
Now, they're also in the top 50 nationally, with wins over three ranked opponents during the crucial final weeks of the regular season.
"We've focused this year on getting the doubles point, and that has really come together with Anna playing at No. 1," Guerin said. "She's done such a good job."
Wyshner said the consistency of Guerin and Ulyashchenko at No. 1 has a ripple effect on the rest of the roster.
"We struggled with doubles last year and the first part of this year," Wyshner said. "We really had to develop a greater trust and ability to compete together, and Kimmy and Anna have done that. It's really important to make all three [doubles] spots competitive, but if you have one you can count on, the other two don't have as much pressure."
Guerin said the success in the spring–the Deacons got off to a 9-0 start–can be attributed to preparation and planning.
"We played a good amount of fall tournaments," Guerin said. "That was good for us, good preparation especially for the freshmen. Then we trained hard over Christmas break, and because of that, we're peaking at the right time."
Guerin is no stranger to meticulous preparation. It's important to her to have certain types of Gatorade and water, along with three rackets (not four, not two) in her tennis bag every day. Then she must set the bag in a certain area of the bench. She calls it superstition, but it helps her remain focused.
"There are more weird things like that," Guerin said. "I've been doing those things since I was 10, but I've developed new ones. I'm really OCD, and this goes along with it."
Whatever she's doing, it's working. The Deacons have earned their first NCAA tournament bid since 2009 and they're looking to make some noise.
"You always look to your No. 1 player to lead a little bit," Wyshner said. "Kimmy hates to lose any match. Her commitment on the court is a great example for our freshman class."
Players Mentioned
