Deacon Sports Xtra: Zawacki-Holdren Reflects on All-American Career Path
2/15/2022 8:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Coming from a family full of talent, Terry Ann Zawacki-Holdren wrote her own story in Winston-Salem decades ago.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – With father Ted, a forward on the 1962 Wake Forest men's basketball Final Four squad, and sister Tracy, already entrenched with Wake Forest women's tennis, one would think the college destination for Terry Ann Zawacki-Holdren would be a foregone conclusion.
Not so fast.
"It (Wake Forest) actually wasn't one of my top choices at first," the Union, New Jersey native admitted. "I visited Notre Dame, and also kept an eye on Duke, Indiana, Princeton and Texas. It eventually came down between Texas and Wake Forest but, when I visited Wake, I fell in love with the campus, the team and the school. There were a couple of other schools who were ahead before the visit."
The family connections were always in the back of Zawacki-Holdren's mind. However, the notion of forging her own unique path also soon took over.
"When you're younger, you always want to follow in your parents' footsteps," she said. "That feeling never went anywhere. Then, with my older sister already at Wake Forest, I was able to hear about all of her experiences. The positive things she had to say added into me wanting to go there."
Lew Gerrard, a former head coach of the Deacs' women's tennis program, played a heavy role in selling Zawacki-Holdren on making an impact. His approach mirrored similarities to the current philosophy of Wake Forest head men's basketball coach Steve Forbes, who has told prospects they can "go somewhere else and be a piece or choose Wake Forest and be a pillar."
"Lew was an awesome guy," Zawacki-Holdren said. "He recruited me from a young age. When it came time for the visit, Wake Forest had the edge because of my father, sister, and him.
"Having a chance to come in and help a program do some 'firsts' there was attractive. I wanted to make a difference while being part of something that was bigger than myself. Lew helped sell that."
She had just one year overlapping with her sister, Tracy, but was quickly thrust into the No. 1 singles position – a spot she retained all four years at Wake Forest.
"The first semester is typically always the toughest for everybody, just adjusting to being away from home," Zawacki-Holdren admitted. "I was fortunate enough to be put at No. 1 right away. I got my first big win in the spring semester against Duke, playing against Julie Exum, who was No. 1 in the country at the time.
"That moment was when I fully felt comfortable and knew Lew saw something in me. It gave me confidence, for sure. I always wanted to be high in the lineup, but didn't expect to be at No. 1. The confidence, belief and excitement just continued to grow."
For her efforts in her debut season, Zawacki-Holdren won Southeast Region Rookie of the Year in 1993.
Facing top competition weekly was a challenge that she never grew tired of.
"Oh, I loved it. It's something I wanted, but never felt pressure from. I just cherished the excitement of being able to play at No. 1 for my team and play against the best. It's something I wanted more than anything."
By her sophomore campaign, Zawacki-Holdren had led the Deacs to the top of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and into the NCAA Tournament. As her Deacon career progressed, she evolved into a two-time All-American and landed All-ACC honors in four consecutive years. Additionally, Zawacki-Holdren is the first Wake Forest player to act as a nationally-ranked competitor for four seasons. Her final year in Winston-Salem saw her take home the 1996 Southeast Senior of the Year award before eventually becoming a member of the ACC's 50th Anniversary Team.
"I was proud to be a part of those teams that first started going to the tournament," Zawacki-Holdren noted. "When we made the NCAA tournament, there was a great deal of excitement. We were very disappointed when we didn't make it my first year. To play at No. 1 and lead the team to the NCAA Tournament was special.
"The team continued on with great success beyond that, so to know that we helped start that evolution is something I am extremely proud of. Wake Forest has featured many great players, tournament appearances and All-Americans. It's just really cool to know we helped get the ball rolling."
Zawacki-Holdren now visits Wake Forest quite often as the head coach of Virginia Tech women's tennis. She's in her 20th season at the helm.
"Campus is a bit different now," Zawacki-Holdren acknowledged. "A different facility is present, but I still love driving around the grounds, regardless. You never lose that sentiment whenever going back to whatever was home.
"Our Virginia Tech team sees Wake Forest all the time and enjoys competing with them. I often run into (current head coach) Jeff Wyshner on the road recruiting. You feel like you understand what's happening in-depth, and get to know the girls by coaching against them."
The high-level tennis and academic rigor helped set Zawacki-Holdren up for the success she's had in the coaching industry.
"Academics at Wake Forest were tough," she recalled. "That was probably my biggest struggle, honestly. It took me a year or two to get acclimated, majoring in psychology, but it was definitely all worth it. Tennis and social life were easier adjustments. I had a great team and loved having my older sister there with me, initially."
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