May 19, 2009
Related Link: NCAA Women’s Singles Championships
When Jackie Wu steps on the tennis court, she doesn’t just come with a fast serve and top-notch groundstrokes.
She’s armed with something more important: variety.
And thanks to that, her stellar freshman season at Vanderbilt has another chapter to write.
Wu was selected to play in the NCAA Women’s Singles Championships in College Station, Texas after a 26-9 regular season that included nine wins over ranked opponents in 2009. She gets a chance to pad that record against a field featuring the best 64 players in the country beginning May 20.
“It’s quite a big accomplishment,” Wu said. “When I started the year, I didn’t look ahead this far. I’ve seen improvement and I’m really glad it’s paying off in the end.”
Wu came to the Commodores after a terrific high school career that ranked her the top player in her home state of New Jersey. The tennis in the Southeastern Conference, which saw 11 of its 12 members invited to the NCAA Tournament this season, has been an adjustment, but Wu has more than coped with her ability to diversify her attack for each new opponent.
“Instead of just grinding from the baseline, I’m improved playing at different parts of the court,” she said. “It doesn’t really matter how my opponent plays. I feel like I can find some way to counter that and compete.
“A lot of people have Plan A, and if that goes out the window than they really don’t know what else to do. I’ve just been working on having different game plans. Against different types of players, you play different ways.”
Wu’s not just a threat at singles either. She and fellow freshman Heather Steinbauer were Vanderbilt’s No. 1 doubles team and posted three wins over ranked opponents on the season and finished their first college campaigns with the No. 43 ranking in the country. They were selected as alternates for the 32-team NCAA Doubles Championships.
For Wu, the camaraderie with her Commodore teammates has been the most significant difference between high school and college life.
“This is a lot better just because you spend so much time together, whereas in high school you just get together for an afternoon,” she said. “But here you’re actually living with everyone. It’s been a lot of fun.”
Vanderbilt’s remarkable 11-year run of Sweet 16 appearances in the NCAA Tournament ended this season after an upset loss in the first round at the hands of Illinois. Given the play of Wu and her fellow young teammates this year however, the Commodores appear primed to begin a new streak of deep tournament turns with eight of their nine players returning next season.
The multidimensional Wu looks to use nationals as a way to examine her own game and see what needs improvement.
“I feel like when you play against better players your weaknesses show more,” Wu said. “Playing them hopefully I’ll be able to utilize my weapons, and then afterwards recognize what my weaknesses are and come back and work on that.”
(Editor’s Note: David Rutz is a rising senior at Vanderbilt and is the Sports Editor of the Vanderbilt Hustler. He is serving as a summer intern in the Athletic Communications Office.)