As Katie Blaszak began her junior year at Duke, she did not wonder what spot she would fill on the Blue Devils’ lineup. Instead she wasn’t sure if she would play tennis at all.
The 5-foot-7 Fairfax, Va., native has struggled with injuries throughout her career, including patella tendinitis her sophomore year, but always managed to fight her way through the pain. A shoulder injury that she suffered in summer practice before her junior season, however, threatened to sideline her for good.
“My shoulder was pretty much a mess,” she said. “They [the doctors] had a lot of cleaning up to do.”
After trying to rehab from July through mid-November 2003, Blaszak was faced with a decision. She could rest her shoulder for the remainder of the season or attempt to recover through training.
She chose the latter.
In a meeting with head coach Jamie Ashworth, Blaszak pointed to mid-April on a calendar and decided that was when she wanted to be back on the court. She achieved her goal, playing her first match against Georgia Tech April 10.
Blaszak went on to earn a 2-1 singles record and a 6-2 doubles mark by the end of her junior year. More importantly, however, she developed a mental toughness that has made her a better player this season.
Before her injury, Blaszak was a stand-out performer. In high school, she was ranked in the top five nationally in Girls 18s. She was also ranked as high as 55th during her collegiate debut at Vanderbilt. But after one year in Tennessee, Blaszak transferred to Duke because she wanted to play for Ashworth.
Blaszak spent most of her sophomore year in the lower half of the lineup, but she earned an 18-5 singles record that pushed her to as high as 59th nationally. She never was fully confident in her abilities, however. Furthermore, taking a year off because of injuries frustrated Blaszak. It also fueled her desire to succeed.
“It’s one of those things that you can look at it as you only have a year left or you can say, ‘I only have a year left, what can I do,’” she said. “When you start realizing that you have more left, that you can improve, you can do a lot in a year.”
Blaszak has taken that philosophy to heart in her senior season, rising to the No. 1 position on the team in late January when Jackie Carleton was injured. Now, even with Carleton back in the lineup, Blaszak still holds the top spot.
Playing against tougher competition than she did her sophomore year, Blaszak jumped to 35th in the nation in mid-March. Her 15-6 overall record—10-3 in dual-match play—includes wins over the No. 47 and No. 30 players in the country.
“It’s not arrogance, its confidence. If you don’t walk out on the court thinking that you can beat the person on the other side of the net then you shouldn’t be out there,” Blaszak said of her attitude on the court.
This willingness to put everything on the line has led the Blue Devils to another successful season. The team reached No. 5 in the nation in February and is currently ranked 10th. After a win over N.C. State Wednesday, Duke holds a 11-5 record on the season with a 2-0 showing in the ACC.
With time running out in her senior season, Blaszak’s drive has pushed her to bring her tactical play up to the level of her mental game. She spends hours after practice on the court with Ashworth working on her cross-court forehand and serve returns, two shots which she feels need improvement.
The senior will need all the game she can muster up as the Blue Devils head into weekend matchups with Miami and Florida State. Without Jennifer Zika, who will probably miss the rest of the season because of an injury, the remainder of the team will need to pick up the slack.
Although Blaszak admits it’s been difficult coming back from multiple injuries, she said overall it has helped her get to her current level. With almost-constant injuries not stopping her, she does not know what will.
“I’ve been through everything,” she said. “What else do you have to throw at me? I’m still out there.”
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