TicketsCINCINNATI - Maria Santilli is a redshirt junior who came to Cincinnati from North Huntingdon, Penn. in 2018. In her freshman season, she went 22-6 in singles play and posted a 14-4 mark in dual action. This season, she is 9-3 so far in duals and 11-6 overall on the season. She graduated in three years with a degree in accounting and is currently working towards her first masters degree. We caught up with Santilli to learn more about what drives her success both on and off the court.
When you look back on your time here at UC, what really sticks out for you the most?
"I feel like, just how much we have grown as a team. We really have come a long way. This year I feel like everything is finally clicking and coming together and I think that's why we are on an 11-match win streak right now."
Speaking of that 11-match win streak - it is now the longest win streak in program history. That's a big milestone for the program, it will go down in the record books. What does it mean for you to be a part of that?
"I am just really proud of all of us because we have been working so hard and it's really nice to see all of our hard work pay off. All of those 6 a.m. lifts and all of those practices and all of those matches are finally paying off. It's really nice that we will be recognized for that and I hope that it will help the program for years to come as we go into the Big 12."
When you look at you guys as a team, you all are really connected and get along really well. How would you describe the dynamic of this years' team?
"We are just a big team. There's the mom of the team, which I would definitely say is the role that I have fallen into. Basically everyone has a different personality, some people are super, super funny then there's some people like myself who are more reserved. So I feel like we have a good, healthy balance of people and personalities that we all come together and bring each other out of our shells and come together to be able to win."
You have been here at UC now for four years with Coach Toth. How would you describe him as a coach and as a leader?
"He's fantastic. I mean, he really makes sure we are all on the same page. He is super organized, which is something that I appreciate, and he makes sure that we stick together as a family. He's super caring, he's honestly like a father figure to all of us. Like he's the best, we love him."
When did you get involved in the sport of tennis?
"So I was four years old and I remember my parents stuck me in every single sport. And I just did not like any of them. I tried soccer, I did not like that – honestly the ball kind of scared me, running at people. And then my mom, who was actually a Division I college tennis player [at Duquesne University], she hid all her trophies in the basement and I was trying to find my dolls. And I pulled out a trophy and I was like "I could do this!" And my mom was like "uh, okay" – because she loved tennis but she unfortunately had a career-ending injury so she couldn't play anymore. So my mom finally was like 'okay, you can try it out' and then I loved it and never looked back."
What is it about the sport of tennis that you love so much?
"I just really like that I can play it for the rest of my life. It's great exercise. And I like that it's something you can make new friends with, like throughout the rest of my life I can find new people to play tennis with. And it's a great networking sport too."
You are off to a pretty good start to the Spring season with an 8-3 record in singles so far, what's really driving you this year and what's helping you in your success on the court this season?
"Honestly, it's all the girls on the team. They have really been pushing me to stay on top of things, keep getting better. And I hope I can set a good example for the underclassman. I just try to work hard everyday and be a leader for them."
What are you currently studying here at Cincinnati and what's your plan post-college? Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
"Next year, Spring 2023, I will graduate with my second masters degree. Right now I am getting a masters in accounting and my next one will be in taxation. I finished my undergraduate degree in accounting in three years. So hopefully I will be moving back to Pittsburgh and working at one of the four big accounting firms in public accounting, just continuing to learn and grow. Then I plan on teaching tennis on the side, just for fun and to get exercise and to meet people."
How hard is it to balance school with the rigorous schedule of being a student-athlete?
"Definitely, sometimes it is hard to stay focused on everything. I know this past week being stressed out with Emma [Miceli] and being like oh my goodness, but at the end of the day you have to focus on tennis because that's what's in front of you right now. It's just important to focus on one thing at a time. And that's another thing that's great about Coach Toth is that he's really helpful with our schedules and makes sure that we study. That's one of the main reasons I came to Cincinnati is whenever I was talking to Coach Toth, he really made sure academics was a priority, like you are a student-athlete. Being a student comes first."
When you look back on your time here, what is one of your favorite memories?
"It might be this year when we beat Indiana back in February. We haven't really beat many Power 5 teams and that was a team we were gunning for. And we all really came together as a team to win that match so I was really happy about that."
What are you hoping to accomplish the rest of this season and as you prepare to close out your collegiate career next season?
"I think I have more team goals for us, not so much for myself hopefully I can just keep doing well so I can help the team. I know we really, really want to get ranked if we can, that would be a great goal for us. And obviously winning some rounds at conference would be huge because our conference is very hard. Other than that, just kind of keep doing well, keep holding each other accountable and keep working hard are just some little ones."
Do you have a tennis player that you admire and that you follow?
"Simona Halep – she's from Romania. She's not flashy, she doesn't hit the hardest out of all the pros, but she still wins grand slams and was number one in the world. I feel like I am the same way, I am not very flashy. I just go out and do my job and I might have to go out and work a little bit harder because I am not the most flashy or fancy player so I kind of like to model my game after hers."
UP NEXT
The Bearcats will head to Xavier University's campus on Saturday, March 26 to face off against the Musketeers at 2 p.m.
FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For all the latest information on Cincinnati tennis, please visit GoBEARCATS.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the team (@GoBearcatsWTEN) and Head Coach Eric Toth (@EricToth1) on Twitter. You can also find the Bearcats on Instagram and Facebook.
When you look back on your time here at UC, what really sticks out for you the most?
"I feel like, just how much we have grown as a team. We really have come a long way. This year I feel like everything is finally clicking and coming together and I think that's why we are on an 11-match win streak right now."
Speaking of that 11-match win streak - it is now the longest win streak in program history. That's a big milestone for the program, it will go down in the record books. What does it mean for you to be a part of that?
"I am just really proud of all of us because we have been working so hard and it's really nice to see all of our hard work pay off. All of those 6 a.m. lifts and all of those practices and all of those matches are finally paying off. It's really nice that we will be recognized for that and I hope that it will help the program for years to come as we go into the Big 12."
When you look at you guys as a team, you all are really connected and get along really well. How would you describe the dynamic of this years' team?
"We are just a big team. There's the mom of the team, which I would definitely say is the role that I have fallen into. Basically everyone has a different personality, some people are super, super funny then there's some people like myself who are more reserved. So I feel like we have a good, healthy balance of people and personalities that we all come together and bring each other out of our shells and come together to be able to win."
You have been here at UC now for four years with Coach Toth. How would you describe him as a coach and as a leader?
"He's fantastic. I mean, he really makes sure we are all on the same page. He is super organized, which is something that I appreciate, and he makes sure that we stick together as a family. He's super caring, he's honestly like a father figure to all of us. Like he's the best, we love him."
When did you get involved in the sport of tennis?
"So I was four years old and I remember my parents stuck me in every single sport. And I just did not like any of them. I tried soccer, I did not like that – honestly the ball kind of scared me, running at people. And then my mom, who was actually a Division I college tennis player [at Duquesne University], she hid all her trophies in the basement and I was trying to find my dolls. And I pulled out a trophy and I was like "I could do this!" And my mom was like "uh, okay" – because she loved tennis but she unfortunately had a career-ending injury so she couldn't play anymore. So my mom finally was like 'okay, you can try it out' and then I loved it and never looked back."
What is it about the sport of tennis that you love so much?
"I just really like that I can play it for the rest of my life. It's great exercise. And I like that it's something you can make new friends with, like throughout the rest of my life I can find new people to play tennis with. And it's a great networking sport too."
You are off to a pretty good start to the Spring season with an 8-3 record in singles so far, what's really driving you this year and what's helping you in your success on the court this season?
"Honestly, it's all the girls on the team. They have really been pushing me to stay on top of things, keep getting better. And I hope I can set a good example for the underclassman. I just try to work hard everyday and be a leader for them."
What are you currently studying here at Cincinnati and what's your plan post-college? Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
"Next year, Spring 2023, I will graduate with my second masters degree. Right now I am getting a masters in accounting and my next one will be in taxation. I finished my undergraduate degree in accounting in three years. So hopefully I will be moving back to Pittsburgh and working at one of the four big accounting firms in public accounting, just continuing to learn and grow. Then I plan on teaching tennis on the side, just for fun and to get exercise and to meet people."
How hard is it to balance school with the rigorous schedule of being a student-athlete?
"Definitely, sometimes it is hard to stay focused on everything. I know this past week being stressed out with Emma [Miceli] and being like oh my goodness, but at the end of the day you have to focus on tennis because that's what's in front of you right now. It's just important to focus on one thing at a time. And that's another thing that's great about Coach Toth is that he's really helpful with our schedules and makes sure that we study. That's one of the main reasons I came to Cincinnati is whenever I was talking to Coach Toth, he really made sure academics was a priority, like you are a student-athlete. Being a student comes first."
When you look back on your time here, what is one of your favorite memories?
"It might be this year when we beat Indiana back in February. We haven't really beat many Power 5 teams and that was a team we were gunning for. And we all really came together as a team to win that match so I was really happy about that."
What are you hoping to accomplish the rest of this season and as you prepare to close out your collegiate career next season?
"I think I have more team goals for us, not so much for myself hopefully I can just keep doing well so I can help the team. I know we really, really want to get ranked if we can, that would be a great goal for us. And obviously winning some rounds at conference would be huge because our conference is very hard. Other than that, just kind of keep doing well, keep holding each other accountable and keep working hard are just some little ones."
Do you have a tennis player that you admire and that you follow?
"Simona Halep – she's from Romania. She's not flashy, she doesn't hit the hardest out of all the pros, but she still wins grand slams and was number one in the world. I feel like I am the same way, I am not very flashy. I just go out and do my job and I might have to go out and work a little bit harder because I am not the most flashy or fancy player so I kind of like to model my game after hers."
UP NEXT
The Bearcats will head to Xavier University's campus on Saturday, March 26 to face off against the Musketeers at 2 p.m.
FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For all the latest information on Cincinnati tennis, please visit GoBEARCATS.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the team (@GoBearcatsWTEN) and Head Coach Eric Toth (@EricToth1) on Twitter. You can also find the Bearcats on Instagram and Facebook.