Deacons Sports Xtra: Laying a Foundation
9/19/2023 8:14:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Women’s tennis standout Brooke Killingsworth brings back a wealth of experience and is primed for another big year.
Down 3-1 in the first round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament in Knoxville, Tennessee against No. 24 Arizona State, the Demon Deacons started mounting a comeback. Anna Brylin earned a three-set victory at No. 2 singles to get the Deacs a little closer, then Nevena Carton won her third set, 6-3, to even the match at three-all.
It all came down to Brooke Killingsworth at No. 4 singles, but she suddenly started experiencing severe leg cramps. During one break, she had to practically be carried to the bench and was unable to clutch her water bottle, as it fell to the ground.
But Killingsworth's grit and determination carried the day, as she broke her opponents serve to gain a 5-4 advantage then finished out the team win on her own serve.
"I'm either leaving on a stretch, or leaving in getting a win for these girls," Killingsworth said. "I was underhand serving and just couldn't really move.
"We dug it out. Being able to give that back to my teammates is something I will always remember. It's mostly mental. I knew when I served that my leg was going to cramp, but I also knew it would stop at some point. I wanted to win that for the girls more than I wanted to avoid the cramps."
The Demon Deacons had little left in the tank the next day, falling to the homesteading Volunteers, but continued to build a solid foundation that they believe will lead to even more success in the 2023-24 season.
"We were a young team, which was a blast, but presented some challenges," Killingsworth said. "Everything we got was earned with no shortage of blood, sweat and tears.
"We laid everything on the line. We came up short, but once the dust settled I was proud of what we accomplished. Our young freshmen did a great job of laying a great foundation for the program. I feel like I'll be able to enjoy my senior year and then leave the program in really good hands."
As Killingsworth intimated, she's gearing up for her final go-around as a Demon Deacon, arriving as a freshman in 2021.
"It was a match made in heaven," Killingsworth said. "I wanted big-time athletics and a tight-knit community. Wake Forest checks those boxes more than any school in the nation, I believe. The goal was to walk down the sidewalk saying hello to people I know, while also competing for titles. I've gotten to do both of those things."
After taking visits to Wake Forest, Wisconsin and Kansas, Killingsworth made the decision to become a Demon Deacon.
"I came on my official visit here along with Casie (Wooten)," she said. "We stayed in a room together. We've recently made a move as a family, and I came across the 'pros and cons' list I made right after my visit. At the top of the 'tennis' section was 'Casie Wooten,' because she had committed the day after the visit. It was so much fun and we had such a good time that she was on the top of my list."
Although Killingsworth technically took one of her visits after Wake Forest, her parents were confident that she would eventually be wearing the Old Gold & Black.
"You need to rethink that," Killingsworth said her parents were ready to tell her if she made a different decision. "Wake Forest is the spot for you."
Arriving at Wake Forest while some COVID-19 restrictions were still in place, Killingsworth contends her experience now is much different than when she first arrived.
"We had online classes, rules were strict and if one person on the tennis team gets COVID, then we'd all likely be down," she explained. "My first semester was a lot of adapting and a lot of tennis practice – that was about it.
"Once I became more acclimated to the broader community, I got active in Athletes In Action, and they've been really great. By spring of my freshman year, Wake Forest really started to feel like home."
Her doubles team with Brylin finished last season ranked in the top-25 nationally and ranks No. 4 in all-time doubles victories throughout program history.
"Playing with Anna was one of the highlights of my career at Wake Forest," Killingsworth said. "Toward the end, we were speaking a completely different language together. We could just look at each other and call plays out of nowhere. We read each other's minds. It was a unique experience that most people don't get.
"We got to play at a high level all three years, playing against the best players in the country. I'm excited to be with a new partner tennis-wise, although I miss her so much. It's going to require a lot of work and creativity, but I'm looking forward to the challenge."
Killingsworth is thankful for the opportunity to go out every weekend and test her skills against the best tennis players in the country.
"We have the opportunity to play in the best conference in the nation," she said. "We go toe-to-toe with the best players in the nation. We're playing professional caliber players. We want to be one of the ACC teams to beat."
After graduating from Wake Forest, Killingsworth plans to go into medicine, specializing in labor and delivery. In the meantime, she plans on making the most of one final season as a Demon Deacon.
"This is my last year," she said. "I want to have a lot of fun. I want to enjoy playing the game I love so much that I started playing at the age of 6 because I liked tennis dresses. I want to have one more year of competing.
"We ended on such a high last year. There's a potential for this to be a really good season for us."
Players Mentioned
