Hailey Quick is a transfer junior who attended the College of Lake County (CLC), in Grayslake, Ill., and played on the tennis team for her first two years.
“It was not too far from home, and so I was able to live at home and commute,” said Quick who is from Kenosha.
After earning her AA degree from CLC, she was ready to move further from home. This led her to the University of Wisconsin-Superior. “I pass through the Superior/Duluth area a few times a year to visit family and I love the area,” said Quick.
When touring at UWS Quick noticed the class sizes early, “The professors and advisors really care about you, and want to help you along your journey,” said Quick.
She has learned while going to college how to manage her time as an athlete and student.
“My teammates are all very supportive and amazing people,” Quick said. At the matches, they are always cheering each other on. Quick grew up shy, but her teammates have created a space for her, along with everyone else to be themselves.
“We’re a very young team, and I think this year is especially important for bonding, since most of the team will be together for the next few seasons,” said Quick.
No worries there, the tennis team has been traveling quite a bit, and are spending a lot of time together on and off the court.
“I am excited for the rest of the season, and to see everyone improve from the beginning of the season to the end,” Quick added.
Quick has the most college experience on the team but she tries not to put a ton of pressure on herself.
Which is easy when the team knows what needs to be done, “They do a really good job of leading themselves,” head coach Ceejay Schaffner said.
“As a team, we all share the same goal, which is winning and improving, and if everyone demonstrates that, then we all gain respect for each other,” said Quick.
“Patience has been important this year, as new players are learning so much. . . they are just eager to learn” said Schaffner and later added, “We have seen some really great progress over the last 5-6 months.”
Outside of tennis Quick is majoring in elementary education, with a minor in instruction. Next Spring, she will begin student teaching.