The N.C. State women’s tennis team has had a rough go of things this season and is currently mired in a seven-match losing streak. But despite this, freshman Natalia Janowicz is enjoying every minute playing the sport she loves at the collegiate level.
The native of Palm Bay, Fla. was ranked No. 60 on the Babolat National Recruiting List for the class of 2013 and No. 11 prospect in the state of Florida. Janowicz was also listed as a five-star recruit on TennisRecruiting.net.
Janowicz saw action at the four, five and six positions of State’s singles ladder this season and was paired with juniors Nicole Martinez and Sophie Nelson and fellow freshman Liza Fieldsend in doubles action.
The freshman said she was ready to face the challenges of playing at the collegiate level after an impressive career on the junior circuit.
“There’s more responsibility,” Janowicz said. “Every match you play is like the finals of a tournament. I have to go out there every time with the right mindset.”
N.C. State head coach Hans Olsen said he remembers identifying Janowicz as a good fit for State’s program.
“I saw her play in the national clay-courts [championships] in Memphis the summer after her junior year,” Olsen said. “She had this tremendous fight in her game. Each point was really hard-fought. She had an all-court style that I knew would work in college, both singles and doubles.”
Similar to how Texas and California are the prime areas to discover football prospects, Florida is viewed as one of the top recruiting states for tennis. Janowicz isn’t the only member of the Pack from the Sunshine State — sophomore Rachael James-Baker is from Plantation, Fla., about a two-hour drive from Janowicz’s home in Palm Bay.
The freshman comes from good tennis stock as well. Her older sister, Olivia, played at the University of Florida and won two national championships with the Gators in 2011 and 2012.
Natalia Janowicz, however, said she was ready to leave her home state behind and come to Raleigh to continue her tennis career.
“I liked it here because of the weather — it wasn’t so hot and humid all the time,” Janowicz said. “And here, I actually get to see snow. I don’t get that at home.”
The Wolfpack has relied on experienced players at the top of its lineup this season, notably stalwart senior Joelle Kissell, who leads the team in singles victories with 12. But Olsen said he sees the importance of getting younger players to develop chemistry with the older players to build a solid foundation for the future of the program.
“I think that Natalia brings a real sincere interest in the team atmosphere,” Olsen said. “She increases everything when we line up as a team.”
Off the court, Janowicz points to the close relationship every player on the team has with each other as something that makes playing for the Wolfpack unique.
“I enjoy traveling with this group of girls to matches,” Janowicz said. “We all love each other. We make so many memories in different places. It’s really exciting.”
Janowicz and the Wolfpack will host their final two home matches of the season this weekend at the J.W. Isenhour Tennis Center, first taking on No. 3 Virginia Saturday at noon, followed by a match against No. 24 Notre Dame Sunday at noon.