In Her Own Words ... A Postcard from Sophia Geier

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Sophia Geier [2015-19] was a standout tennis player for the Zips. A three-time team captain, she concluded her playing career last spring, winning the MAC Player of the Year honors twice while finishing second in all-time singles wins (106) and combination singles/doubles wins (177), while her 71 doubles victories rank No. 11 on the career chart. Geier is currently the graduate assistant coach for women's tennis as she finishes her M.B.A.

Ever since I was a little girl, I wanted to be a tennis player.

Well, that time has come, and it has gone.

I have gotten the chance to experience this for five amazing years, so thank you, tennis, and thank you, Akron.

I was born, and I lived my whole life in Germany. Thankfully, I was born into a tennis-loving family. Tennis became my everything while growing up. I practiced every day, and I traveled the world to play tournaments. Everything other kids or teenagers did had to wait. But then during my junior year of high school, I just didn't want to do it anymore. I was tired of standing on the court for hours a day, and I felt like I was missing out on so many other things my friends got to do, while I was sitting in a car to my next tournament.

When I was offered full scholarships to go to college in the United States, I was hesitant. I asked myself, "Is tennis really that important to you anymore," and, "do you really want to chase yellow balls around all day every day for the next couple of years?"

But why not try it and get out in the world for a while!?

During my senior year of high school, I committed to the University of Akron.
It's still hard to wrap my head around the fact that almost a year ago, I represented Akron for the last time on the tennis court. It's crazy how fast those years go by. I can say the best experiences of my life happened on that tennis court.

If I had to pinpoint a specific memory from my career at Akron, I would name a few. What is unmatched to this day, is my development on the tennis court. I came as a freshman, with the "worst backhand" my assistant coach Brian Peters at the moment has ever seen, according to him. But he saw potential in me somehow. He decided to give it a try and equip me with an entire new backhand. For weeks, I felt like I had just started to play tennis. At first, I didn't hit any balls, I just practiced a new grip and swing. After a week, I was allowed to hit balls with my backhand from the middle of the court. It took me weeks to be able to finally hit a backhand from the baseline, like I used to. The whole process of changing my backhand took months. Was it frustrating at times? It absolutely was. But was it worth it in the end? It 100% was.

I went from playing number 5 and 6 in the line-up, to being unbeaten in conference at number 1 during my junior and senior years. Believe it or not, but hard work pays off!

Obviously, winning MAC Player of the Year my junior and my senior year was my personal highlight and an achievement I am most proud of. I still remember when I stepped on the court for the very last time, and I took a moment to look to my teammates, to my coaches, and to my fellow seniors and remembered the way it makes me feel. I know I will never forget this feeling for the rest of my life. These five years were filled with endless amount of tears, both happy and sad … simply the best five years of my life.

No matter what's next, I know I have made a family of my own. This place, is my home, away from home. I will forever be thankful for this. Forever a Zip.

– Sophia Geier

The University of Akron Athletics

In Her Own Words ... A Postcard from Sophia Geier

Players Mentioned

Sophia Geier

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