Her brother was an All-American tennis player at Texas. Her grandfather — an All-American Longhorn swimmer. Needless to say, Krista Damico’s college choice was an easy one. “I looked at other schools,” she says. “I had options, but after I took my recruiting trip, I didn’t want to look anywhere else. Texas was perfect.”
The tennis player’s pedigree serves her well. During her collegiate career, Damico is 87-55 in singles matches, 74-55 in doubles and 54-36 in dual-single matches. She claimed the Big 12 title in doubles with partner Amanda Craddock in 2010 and earned conference honors for her singles performance that same year. Her contributions continue to propel the Longhorns forward.
But with a family filled with star athletes — including both of her parents — people almost expect these accomplishments from Damico. “My family’s legacy at Texas is intimidating, to say the least,” she says. “I came to Texas because it’s… [s2If current_user_is(s2member_level2)] my family’s school. I tried to reach their level of success. They remind me that this is it…this is my last shot. I’ve got to go out and give my all.”
Now nearing the end of her Texas career, she’s won 22 of her 32 singles matches this year. She earned All-Big 12 honors at the end of this conference season, claiming eight victories against ranked opponents in singles play. The NCAA tournament marks the last time she’ll face collegiate competition — an idea she’s not yet ready to accept. “Everyone keeps talking to me about graduation and what I’m doing with my life when I’m done,” she says. “It’s surreal. The time has gone by so fast. I don’t feel like a senior. I’m not ready to leave the 40 Acres.”
Despite her longing to stay at Texas, Damico already made her post-graduation plans. She plans to take the summer off and travel to Europe, where she says Spain, France, Italy and London — the home of the 2012 Olympic Games — are among her potential destinations. Then with her degree in physical culture and sports, she’ll tackle the real world, hoping to begin a sports-related career. “I wouldn’t complain if I landed a job in sports,” Damico says. “Sports have dictated my life for so long that I can’t imagine not having sports in my life.”
Ranked among the nation’s top 100 collegiate players, Damico could pursue a professional tennis career. Her brother Kellen, who graduated a year ago, enjoyed a brief stint as a professional. His attempt to pursue a tennis career after college opened the door for Damico to consider her chances on the professional tennis courts as well.
“The idea is definitely on my mind,” she explains. “The lifestyle of a professional tennis player is grueling and you’re traveling every weekend. That aspect of it isn’t appealing to me, but I’ve fallen back in love with the game this year.”
Damico will place her pursuit of a professional career on hold for now as she focuses on putting the finishing touches on an impressive college career. The Longhorns were 7-1 against conference foes and won five consecutive matches. Oklahoma State broke the team’s streak when they dealt the Longhorns a 4-3 defeat April 22.
In addition to the match against the Cowgirls, the string of victories should include one more win, according to Damico — the disappointing loss to an unranked Illinois squad still weighs heavily on her mind. “We had a long talk in the locker room after that match,” she recalls. “We didn’t perform. We didn’t play well. But the girls bounced back and we’ve won every match [leading up to Oklahoma State].”
Damico performed well against the Fighting Illini, taking down Allison Franklin in three sets to win her 11th consecutive match. “Illinois is a tough team who came out and played a great match,” head women’s tennis coach Patty Fendick-McCain says. “I’m proud of Krista for getting that singles win. She’s played some great tennis.”
Damico’s streak snapped at 12 consecutive wins when she lost to Kansas State’s Petra Niedermayerova. She got back on track against Texas Tech with a straight-sets win over Elizabeth Ullathorne. Damico acted as a major component in each of the Longhorns’ Big 12 wins and offered a hand in the team’s non-conference success as well. “Krista’s resolve to put matches away is tremendous.” Fendick-McCain adds.
Individually, Damico’s performance on the court helped propel the Longhorns throughout the season, and the team gained enough momentum to a make a deep postseason run. She also serves as one of the squad’s leaders because four of the Longhorns’ 12 players are freshmen and three are sophomores.
“We have a young team,” she says. “Serving as captain and leading the girls on and off the court was a good opportunity for me. It was refreshing and this year has been my favorite, by far.”
The future looks bright for the Longhorns as many of the underclassmen will return to the 40 Acres after Damico’s departure. Aerial Ellis, who’s won nearly two-thirds of her singles matches during her collegiate career, will be the team’s only senior next season. Cierra Gaytan-Leach, who had perfect conference play as a freshman and went 7-2 this year, will be a junior, along with Elizabeth Begley, who boasts a team-best 34-7 record in singles matches this season.
“Aerial is stepping into a big role, but I have the utmost faith in her,” Damico says. “We’ll also have three juniors next year, all with a bunch of experience.”
Even with a bright future, the Longhorns will miss Damico in 2013. And she’ll miss playing with them, although she’s trying not to give her limited time at Texas much thought. She’s focused on saving her best tennis for her final match.
“I’m trying to soak everything in and enjoy even the hard parts, like working out and taking ice baths,” Damico says. “I know I’m not here for much longer … it’s bittersweet.”[/s2If]
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