UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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6
Thursday, August 24, 1995
3B
Transfer finds love in joining Kansas tennis team
By Dan Gelston
Kansan sportswriter
One of the Kansas women's tennis team's eagerly anticipated recruits has finally landed in Lawrence.
Kylie Hunt, New Castle, Australia, Junior,
became interested in Kansas' tennis program when
she was the No. 3 ranked junior player in all of
New South Wales during high school.
Hunt had heard about the winning program at Kansas as well as the emphasis placed on student-athletes getting an education. She decided to write to women's tennis coach Chuck Merzbacher in 1993. She had to write because colleges don't normally recruit down in Australia.
"She had expressed an interest in coming here and I heard nothing but good things about her," Merzbacher said. "All I really saw were the results of her matches. Not only were they just about all wins, but she won with authority."
Hunt planned to major in sports management at Kansas and become dedicated to the academic aspect of college. Ironically, it was academics that kept her from doing that. Australian high schools graduate in November, but by January, the Jayhawks had used up all of their scholarships.
"It was pretty disappointing when I couldn't come here," Hunt said. "This was my first choice, but I had to look elsewhere."
North Carolina State was also eagerly pursuing Hunt during her senior year, so Hunt decided to give the Atlantic Coast Conference school a try. Her experience with the Wolfpack didn't satisfy her either as a player or academically.
"I didn't feel the college atmosphere there my first year," Hunt said. "I went out there and played, but I didn't get into the match. I wasn't totally happy."
Whatever Hunt felt internally never showed in her results out on the court. She finished her freshman year with a 15-6 single record and was named the team's Most Valuable Player.
Hunt showed no signs of a sophomore jinx the next year, when she compiled a 31-8 singles record, a berth in the NCAA Championships and was named to the All-Atlantic Coast Conference team.
Jenny Garrity was the North Carolina State assistant coach during Hunt's stint. Now the interim coach, she helped develop Hunt into the top player in the program.
"Kylie understood the game very well," Garrity said. "She knew when something was wrong and she was able to correct herself."
Hunt was also able to succeed because of her
Kylie Hunt
1993 record 15-6 singles, 11-5 doubles Team MVP
1994 record
31-6 singles
1994 All ACC team
Number three Junior player in New South Wales, Australia
The number one singles and number one doubles player at N.C. State last year
preparation, Garrity said.
"She was very good at analyzing her opponents," she said. "She did as much work preparing for a match as we did as coaches."
Despite the outstanding results, Hunt said her game wasn't going anywhere. She also became frustrated with the academics at North Carolina State.
"Alabama also wanted me to play for them, but Coach Merzbacher was like 'no, you can't break my heart twice.'" Hunt said.
"They put me in classes that I didn't like and didn't have a lot to do with my major," Hunt said. "I wanted to play tennis and study. I want to get my degree."
She decided it was time to transfer and Kansas was the only place she had in mind.
Merzbacher said this was the first time that he had ever recruited a player, then saw that player go somewhere else and then come to Kansas.
Hunt said she is excited at the opportunity at playing for a school that has a chance to go to the NCAA Championships and compete for a conference title. As for her future, Hunt said she planned to graduate and give the professional game a try.
"She'll be in the mix for the top three spots," Merzbacher said. "She's an aggressive player that likes to come up to the net. She has no major weaknesses, we just have to polish up some things."
"I really want to give pro tennis a shot," Hunt said.
"But I can't really think about that until I graduate."
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