UW-Whitewater sophomore Cassie Lee had an impressive showing in her 2021-22 freshman debut with the Warhawk Women’s Tennis team. Lee closed out the season with a doubles win with Autumn Bruno in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Midwest Regional to earn the title of All-American. 

So far, Lee’s sophomore season has been equally impressive as she has recorded just two losses each in singles and doubles. Lee also helped lead the team to another WIAC championship this fall. 

 Q: When did you start playing tennis and what made you fall in love with the sport and want to keep playing?

A: I started tennis around the age of seven, but I took breaks on and off from it while I was growing up. I officially started to take tennis seriously when I was 15 and one of the biggest reasons why I fell in love with it was honestly just because of how much joy it brought me. I was looking for a good activity to keep me busy and it ended up being the perfect fit for me. 

Q: What keeps you motivated as a student and as an athlete?

A: I think the one thing that keeps me motivated is that I know that I want my future career to be a personal trainer. So my major combined with tennis is something that really pushes me, because they relate to that goal of becoming a personal trainer that I have known I want to do for a couple of years now. 

Q: As a student-athlete how do  you approach goal-setting and how important do you think it is, especially as an athlete, to set goals for yourself?

A: At the end of each season I really evaluate myself and the progress I have made or what skills I may be lacking, and then I go from there. I really enjoy working out so I take into consideration all of those aspects and what I can do to improve based on what time of year it is and how close the season is, but I really use my progress through a season to gauge my strengths and weaknesses. 

Q: What are your goals for this spring season?

A: My goal is really just to finish strong. We have had a good year as a team and I have had a good year individually, so I really want to keep that going until I get back to work practicing this summer. 

Q: What would you say is your proudest accomplishment in your student-athlete career?

A: The number one thing that stands out is the All-American honor I received my freshman year. That was one of my goals coming to college, so to get that accomplished right off the bat was nice and in some ways a relief for me. Academically, making the Dean’s list and just really putting the time to invest in my future is important to me so being rewarded for that is really validating and special. 

As the spring season reaches its final stretch, Lee and the Warhawks will look to defend their WIAC title. Following the conference tournament, Whitewater will set their sights on the NCAA Regional, NCAA DIII Team Tournament and the NCAA Individual Tournament.