Scholar Stories: Resiliency the Difference-Maker for Lommer
11/21/2018 10:33:00 AM | Women's Tennis, Features
Continuing the popular series that began in 2016-17, each Wednesday MGoBlue.com will highlight a Michigan student-athlete and their academic pursuits. These are our Scholar-Athlete Stories, presented by Prairie Farms.
By Max Brill
Chiara Lommer has seen her ranking on the tennis court rise this year due to the hard work she is putting in both on and off the court.
A junior on the University of Michigan women's tennis team, Lommer entered the fall season ranked No. 61, nearly 30 spots higher than the No. 90 rank with which she finished last season. That number is sure to rise after her performance in the fall; she went 9-6 in singles, placed second in the ITA Midwest Regional Championships to teammate Kate Fahey, and reached the backdraw final at ITA Fall Nationals.
"My ranking this year has been a lot better, and I did pretty well in the last tournament," she said. "I want to build off that."
While Lommer has been rapidly ascending on the court, the learning curve in the classroom has been slightly steeper.
"I was online-schooled, so I didn't play varsity tennis in high school," Lommer said. "That was a great experience because I was able to travel all over the world. I played tournaments in South America and Europe, and would go two or three months at a time where I wasn't home at all."
"I don't think I was prepared for how difficult Michigan was going to be, but I think that I've been able to grow a lot as a person through my studies."
Lommer is enrolled in the College of Literature, Science and the Arts, and is majoring in economics. That, too, wasn't always smooth; she took Econ 101 in her first semester but dropped it, quickly realizing it was too difficult a class to take right out of the gate.
But she didn't want experience to "define" her studies. So, she took it again in the spring and fell in love with it. Her interest in the coursework has helped her to stay focused both in the classroom and on the court.
"Econ is tough," she explained. "I wanted to do something that was challenging for me -- and econ is challenging -- but just like tennis, it's something I really enjoy.
"And it's similar in tennis, too. Being in practice every day is a grind, but that's what is going to help me improve. There's definitely a connection."
Lommer stayed resilient despite needing to make adjustments early on in both her academic career and her athletic career. For example, it took some time to get used to being in a team environment after playing solo during her high school years.
She has fully embraced the team atmosphere, though, and says she misses that team aspect during the fall season, when competitions are far more individual.
"It's been totally different cheering for teammates," she said. "In matches, I'm playing for something bigger. When a match is getting tight, it's about more than me -- it's about not letting the team down.
"I think when you're playing for a team it makes you think about bigger-picture things. It pushes me. When I'm out there having a bad set or a bad day and I look over and see my teammates fighting, I know I have to commit my part for the team."
Following a well-deserved break for the holidays, Lommer still has the upcoming spring season and then all of next school year before she has to make a choice about life after tennis.
"I played some pro events this summer and I really enjoyed that, but I don't know what I want to do," she said. "Michigan has opened a lot of doors. I'm torn between continuing playing after school or immediately pursuing a career."
Though the future is uncertain for the junior, one thing is clear: she wants to teach the underclassmen on the team the lessons she has learned from her mentors.
"I want to show everyone that I'm trying to be positive and hardworking on and off the court," she said. "And I want to be there for all the younger girls, helping them with classes and their game. I want them to succeed on and off the court and strive to do their best."
Players Mentioned
