#9 Ranked Women's Tennis Team Preps for National Championships

May 10, 2010

May 10, 2010, Greencastle, Ind. — "Now a DePauw University junior on a women's squad headed to the NCAA Division III Championships for the sixth straight year," Tricia Wilks is the subject of a story in today's edition of Ohio's Hamilton Journal-News. "At DePauw, her game has been good enough this season to go 14-7 in singles (mostly at No. 5) and 17-4 at No. 3 doubles with Taylor Prodromos," writes Rick Cassano. "Wilks' aggressiveness is her signature." (at left: Wilks; below right: Prodromos)

Wilks tells the newspaper, "I hit faster balls and put balls away a lot quicker than most girls do. People aren’t expecting that. I don't play high-percentage tennis, and it works for me because that’s how I’ve played my whole life. I'm used to making the big shot."

Adds Prodromos, who is also a junior, "I think we complement each other. I have a pretty big first serve, and she's able to close out the points when girls are on the defensive. I like trying to set up the point and her just moving and finishing them."

Cassano's article notes, "DePauw, with its facilities and talent level, can compete with Division I teams. But Division I tennis and all that comes with it doesn’t appeal to Wilks. 'Anyone on our team could've played D-I tennis,' she said. 'It's the time commitment and that kind of stuff. I didn’t want tennis to be my life. I wanted to be able to do other things besides have them just own me. That's why I chose Division III.'"

The article points out that Wilks spent the fall semester studying in Spain and gives back to the community as Young Life leader and as a volunteer coach for the girl's tennis team at Greencastle High School.

"People need love and support however you can give it," she tells the newspaper. "We're kind of poor college students, so money doesn't always come. But we can hang out with kids. We can teach tennis for free. You can always find ways to help people. You just have to try."

You'll find the full story at the Journal-News' Web site.

DePauw's women's tennis team, ranked #9 in the nation, captured its third straight Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference title this season and earned automatic qualification into the NCAA Division III Championships which begin on Friday, May 14.  Get the latest information at the team's official online page.

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