Commitment Profile
Keegan Commits to Gator Tennis
by Clair Maciel, 24 April 2012
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When you have some of the most notable and highly respected women's tennis programs bidding to sign you to their squad, narrowing down the schools can be overwhelming.
For
Kourtney Keegan, a junior Blue Chip player from Roswell, Ga., the decision between schools like
Notre Dame,
Georgia,
North Carolina,
Florida,
UCLA,
Michigan,
Northwestern and
Georgia Tech was exactly that.
But after a lot of thought and meticulously weighing the pros and cons of each university, Keegan has announced that she'll be proud to play for Head Coach Roland Thornqvist and don the blue and orange colors of the Florida Gators tennis team in 2013.
"This was easily the most difficult process I have ever been through," Keegan said. "I chose Florida because I felt like it was the right place for me. My goal is to win the NCAAs, and I felt that with the elite coaches at Florida and the high quality team that they have now, I can reach this goal."
Of course, the entire decision process was one that Keegan described as humbling because of all the top coaches who showed interest and confidence in her game, yet she could only choose one.
"It's gratifying to know there are so many quality coaches at the collegiate level willing to help recruits reach their potential," she said. "Having to call those other coaches and let them know I did not choose their school was tough because I could easily justify going to any of those schools. I have been blessed to have some wonderful programs and schools interested in me, and I can honestly say I would recommend any of these schools to other recruits."
The Gators, winners of the 2011 NCAA Tennis Championships and 2012 Southeastern Conference title, will gain quite an asset in the pre-med major.
At 5-foot-10, she is a self-described all-around player whose arsenal includes a strong, reliable backhand shot as her weapon of choice.
"I don't hit the ball extremely hard all the time, but I also do not grind and play defense every point," she said of her style of play. "I have developed myself into a player who can hit almost every shot, so I feel there are no real weaknesses in my game."