A Long Journey to Montlake
From Slovenia to Washington, Zupancic's Trip Has Been Well Worth It
1/24/2020
By Jillian Anderson
As an athlete who has been playing tennis since the age of four, Nika Zupancic was more than ready to compete at the collegiate level when she reached the end of high school. For Zupancic, the University of Washington was an “instant click”.
Zupancic was considering countless schools when the time came to make a decision for the next step in her career. At the time in 2018, while still living at home in Slovenia and not being offered a scholarship, the University of Washington seemed like an unlikely selection. However, after seeing the campus and talking to head coach Robin Stephenson, Zupancic knew this is where she belonged. She shared, “I came here for a visit, and as soon as I got here, I thought ‘this is where I want to be, this is what my future holds for me’ and it was an instant click.”
The feelings were mutual for Stephenson. “I really liked her energy and what she had to say” Stephenson said of their first conversation on the phone. She added, “it was a no-brainer for us to have somebody that could play at her level. We really believed in her from the start.”
Despite being in love with the campus, there was still a lot of uncertainty for Zupancic about UW after she made her decision, however. It was a big risk to go to school that was over 5,000 miles away, without a promise of a scholarship, and without knowing anyone on the team. She was admittedly nervous about getting along with the nine other women that make up the squad, “I grew up only practicing with guys,” she shared. “It was my biggest fear when I came here.”
After a period of exuding a sizeable amount of courage, things quickly fell into place for Zupancic during her freshman season. She said about her teammates, “We settled in really well, we are all different characters and it is a challenge, but it is so fun.” She even admitted, “Now, I consider them as my sisters.”
Stephenson appreciates this more than anyone, acknowledging, “Nika brings so many things to the team as a person. She has so much energy and passion for life, and tennis and friends. If someone is having a bad day at practice, she is the one to go over and cheer them up and help them out. She contributes a lot in that way. It is funny that she was once scared [about getting along with everyone], because she is such a natural fit. She is the heartbeat to this group.”
The risk of coming to the UW swiftly manifested into reward as Zupancic started to feel at home in Seattle. This was especially solidified after the announcement midway through last season that she would be playing on scholarship for the rest of her time here. She explained of the moment when she found out the news, “I was shocked, surprised, and really happy. It was a huge weight that was lifted from my shoulders.”
"Nika brings so many things to the team as a person. She has so much energy and passion for life, and tennis and friends. ... It is funny that she was once scared [about getting along with everyone], because she is such a natural fit. She is the heartbeat to this group.”Head Coach Robin Stephenson
Stephenson was also extremely happy about this decision, saying, “from a performance standpoint, [Zupancic] contributed a lot, she has won a lot of matches. But more than that, how she is as a person, her energy, passion and work ethic is unbelievable. She is the type of athlete that any coach would want on their team. She earned that scholarship… deserved it.”
Zupancic went on to share, “Obviously, it was something that I was striving for and an absolute privilege that I am so grateful for, but I would have been okay if I did not get it. In the end, it is all about the team.”
It was very fitting that it was her teammates, who told her the news in March of last year. During what Zupancic believed to be simply a fun Q&A video for marketing purposes, she was asked by, then, teammate and doubles partner, Stacey Fung, “How does it feel to have just earned a scholarship for the rest of your time at UW?” In a video that can be seen here, Zupancic struggles to hold back tears as she is swarmed by a mob of hugs from her teammates.
Zupancic and Fung went on to reach the NCAA Doubles Championship after defeating, and knocking off the number one ranked doubles team at the PAC-12 tournament. Zupancic finished her freshman season with a 22-8 singles record and a 20-10 doubles record. In a year that held so many notable accomplishments, Zupancic did not mention her individual achievements when asked to share her favorite memory of her time here so far.
Zupancic pointed to a match against Kansas University early in the season as one of her favorite moments of her freshman season. “As a team we played so united,” she said. “When I think about it, I get goosebumps. We played like a family and that is what college tennis is all about.”
Because she had trouble narrowing it down to only one memory, she also noted a moment that the team shared in DisneyLand last season. “Some of the people that are really scared of roller coasters went on one all together. We got a bunch of really funny pictures out of it, that I am going to keep forever.”
As someone who seems to prioritize having fun and being a team player, it was very fitting that when asked about her goals for this season and the years to come at UW, she did not speak of statistics that would be recorded on the court. Instead, most of all, “I want to enjoy every single day. I just want to have fun, enjoy, work really hard and give it my all.”
Stephenson is on the same beat with this as well, sharing about Zupancic, “when she is having fun, she is playing her best. My goal [this season] for her is to continue doing that. She was the spark last year in our matches with her competitive and fun energy. I want her to continue to do that and enjoy playing college tennis in that way.”
Looking into the future, Zupancic wants to remember this most of all, “In the end, do not forget what is important,” she said. “The relationship you have with the people around you is the most important thing.”