TicketsFeb. 24, 2011
By Shawn Sell
GoBEARCATS.com
There are two things that freshman Ashleigh Witte is passionate about--art and tennis. The chance to study art at UC's widely renowned school of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning (DAAP) and play tennis for the Bearcats made the University of Cincinnati an easy choice for Witte to pursue her passions. It also didn't hurt that she had a long-standing relationship with the Bearcats coach.
Witte picked up the game of tennis from a young age, learning the game from her father, Raymond. After playing in her first competitive tournament at the age of eight, Witte continued to excel at the sport, all the way through a successful career locally at Lakota West High School. Even as a youngster, Witte strived to be the best she could at the sport she loved.
"My dad taught me when I was really little," she says. "I always liked tennis a lot and so I tried to be the best I could be when I was little. I played all the time and wanted to be like a lot of the really big players."
Among those players that Witte modeled her game after were Andre Agassi and Justine Henin, two wildly successful pros known worldwide. Even as both of those players have since retired, Witte continues to pattern her game after what she gained from watching Agassi and Henin compete.
"I liked how aggressive they were and how they would hit these spectacular shots from the baseline," Witte says of the duo. "I liked how they controlled the points and strategize each point."
When UC head coach Angela Wilson was on the recruiting trails looking to fill her roster for the 2010-11 season, she banked on some existing relationships in helping lure Witte to Clifton.
"I've known Ashleigh for a long time," Wilson says. "Her coaches growing up, one is a peer of mine and we played in juniors together. Another is a mentor of mine who I actually took lessons from. I actually played against Ashleigh in a Cincinnati Met mixed doubles tournament (won by Witte and her partner). My daughter Carly played doubles with her at 14 and under tournaments so I've known her from the local community. We are a pretty tight community and there is good tennis here. I think that since we knew each other and I knew her coaches that helped a lot."
What also helped with Witte's decision to become a Bearcat was the opportunity to enroll at DAAP. Considered one of the most difficult programs at UC, Witte has enjoyed her time within DAAP, despite the heavy workload that it carries, especially for a student-athlete trying to juggle academics and athletics.
"It's tough," Witte admits. "You do a lot of unique projects. I am an artist; I like to paint and draw. Later in life I would love to own my own shop and sell my stuff or work for a company where I could do that."
"She is a very good artist," Wilson adds. "When UC has great programs to offer, that is an easy sell and really helps me out on the recruiting side. We are managing the demands that DAAP has on her and the demands that tennis has and are really watchful of that to make sure she is OK."
When Witte arrived on campus last fall, she hit the ground running, capturing the No. 3 singles flight at her first collegiate tournament at Bowling Green. That strong start to her career gave Witte confidence heading into the bulk of the schedule which kicked off in January.
"It felt great winning the third flight (at BGSU)," she says. "It gave me great confidence going into the season. For a freshman to win the third flight, especially at someone else's invitational, it was even better."
With the season barely a month old, Witte has earned her share of success, posting a 4-6 record in singles play. She has also teamed with sophomore Elise Woulfe to win five of their 10 doubles matches. According to Witte and Wilson both, the freshman's record isn't conducive to how well she has actually played.
"We obviously had a tough start playing some big schools, but I think I have been improving," Witte says. "Playing those schools has made me better as a player and I think as get further in the season, it will get even better. I beat the players from Toledo and Dayton and I think as I keep playing those players I will get better and better with more experience."
"She has had some good wins," Wilson adds. "She beat Amanda Border from Toledo who was another highly-ranked freshman coming in. She had a good win against Bowling Green as well. We just need to get her the confidence that she can do that kind of play on a consistent basis because it's there. She has shown that she can play tough tennis and we just need her to believe that she can do that match after match."
Witte will have her next chance to inch her record closer to .500 this weekend when the Bearcats meet Georgetown in a dual match in Greenbrier, West Virginia on Saturday.