Wake Forest Athletics
Deacon Sports Xtra: Brylin Continues to Shine Throughout the Spring
4/20/2022 9:30:00 AM | Women's Tennis
The women’s tennis veteran has turned heads for her work both on and off the court.
The Wake Forest women's tennis team is nationally ranked and in the hunt for an NCAA Tournament berth, paced by senior Anna Brylin.
Brylin has over 100 doubles victories at Wake Forest, is second on the team in singles wins and is an Atlantic Coast Conference 2022 Postgraduate Scholarship recipient.
"She has been fantastic," said Wake Forest women's tennis head coach Jeff Wyshner. "Her 2021 season was phenomenal. I've often said that No. 3 singles is one of the toughest spots for us to be successful against an ACC schedule. She did really well there for us last year, and that trend has only continued with her success. Obviously, her and Brooke (Killingsworth) have anchored our doubles lineup.
"She is one of the important pieces for us, as we believe she can go out and win every time she takes the court."
The postgraduate scholarship awarded to Brylin came as no surprise to her coach.
"Anna is one of the smartest players I've ever recruited," Wyshner acknowledged. "You could see that ACC honor coming from afar. She is a phenomenal student. Her tennis career has also been extraordinary. She has excelled in the sport and in the classroom, and is certainly very deserving."
The Demon Deacons have collected ranked wins this season over Texas Tech, Florida State, Clemson, and Boston College while coming up just short against No. 2 NC State and No. 14 Duke.
"The season has been going pretty well," Brylin noted. "It could always be better. We've been working very hard and have picked up some good wins. Hopefully, we can get over the hump and grab some amazing wins. We have a really good team this year and just need to put the pieces together to be one of the best teams in the country."
Brylin plans to use the postgraduate scholarship toward an eventual Master of Business Administration, but will slo return to Wake Forest for one final season in 2022-23 and continue to pursue a Master's degree in Business and Analytics.
"It was such an honor to be recognized in the conference," Brylin said. "I can use the scholarship toward my MBA, which just has to be done in the next five years. That was always part of my plan."
Coming from Millburn High School in Short Hills, New Jersey, Brylin first started hearing from the Wake Forest coaching staff as a junior.
"I actually had not heard of Wake Forest before I started my college search, and that's probably because I'm the first person in my family to go to college in America," she said. "I came down for a visit after doing some of my own research and realized the university was a top-30 school, along with having an incredible tennis program. It was the kind of atmosphere I wanted. I didn't want to go to a big state school. I've always been super-focused on school. Tennis isn't going to be my life forever."
Although Brylin didn't make her decision until a month after her visit to campus, it was on that trip where the commitment was forged.
"When I visited Wake Forest, I fell in love with the coaches and the atmosphere," she recalled. "It is a small school, which I loved. You can form personal relationships with the professors, but the athletics we have here give you the feel of those major state schools. There are great facilities and resources around. It checked all the boxes for me.
"It was one of the happiest moments of my life, and it's been a great decision."
Last October, Brylin and her doubles partner Brooke Killingsworth claimed the Intercollegiate Tennis Association All-American Championship. They defeated four ranked teams in Charleston, overcoming late-match deficits in both the semifinals and finals to earn the championship.
"You have to believe you can do it but, in the back of your mind, you doubt that it can actually happen," Brylin admitted. "To be able to accomplish that championship showed how hard we'd been working. It was really fulfilling – one of the happiest days of my life. It was one of the highest moments I've ever had. I hope we can have more moments like that ahead."
Players Mentioned
