Kylie Sandusky, the most prolific girls tennis player representing Greer High School, signed a letter of intent Wednesday to play at North Greenville University.

“The most important accomplishment (Kylie) has achieved is she is an excellent student at Greer High School,” said Athletic Director Travis Perry. “She’s been a tremendous representative of our school and athletic program.”

Sandusky’s legacy will be remembered numerically:

• 6-year letterman, 7^th through 12 grades

• No. 1 singles each year

• Region player of the year as a freshman, all-region 9^th-12^th grades

• Played in state tournament 9^th-12^th grades

• North team member in North-South Tennis Classic

• Senior record 18-2 singles, 11-1 doubles

• Career record: 54-12 singles, 41-13 doubles

Sandusky was coached by her grandmother in high school, Linda, for the past six years. She has announced her retirement. “I’m retiring so I can watch (Kylie) play,” Linda said.

Parents Erik and Tara Sandusky, Principal Marion Waters, instructor Tim Driscoll, family and friends also attended the signing in the high school’s alumni room.

“I’m looking forward to improving and playing on the college level. It will be way different but I’m excited to be playing other schools,” Sandusky said. She said her plans are to study physical therapy.

Tomas Kurhajec, third-year women’s and men’s coach at NGU and former member of its 6^th national championship team (2007), recruited Sandusky. “When I met the coach, players and saw the school, with its new facilities, I liked that a lot,” Sandusky said.

"She caught my attention when I watched her during one of NGU's practice sessions. I also had the privilege of watching her play a match in Greenville," said Kurhajec. "To sum it up, three characteristics stood out to me about Kylie. She is determined, she perseveres, and she has a passion for the game of tennis."

“Tennis is an individual sport but when you put it into a format like a team and high school it makes it even more fun,” Driscoll said. “But to play at that level of competition will push her, which she will thrive in.

“(Kylie) will get so much better just by the level of competition,” Driscoll, her instructor for 10 years, said. “You are playing every day against college kids. Some of the kids she played against (high school) were almost a bore. She’s not going to get that in college. Everybody is a former number one for their high school, so it’s practicing at that level every day and playing competition at her matches.”

Driscoll described Sandusky’s style of play in a word – determination.

“Her game style is to play aggressive. She hits the ball hard and has solid ground strokes. Her whole game is solid, she doesn’t have a real weakness in her game,” Driscoll said. “She has really good net play. She loves playing the net. Not many people come to the net anymore but Kylie has a good comfort level coming to the net and attacking the ball.”

Kurhajec said Sandusky's potential is at her fingertips.

“I am very blessed to have Kylie on my women’s tennis team, and I am really excited to be her coach starting this fall. I believe she will greatly strengthen the North Greenville University women’s tennis team and will definitely be one of the top players," Kurhajec said. "Kylie is already a well rounded player, but with more experience, combined with her determination and skills, the potential for her to be a great collegiate tennis player is within her grasp."

Read more on Kylie Sandusky here.

 

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