(Editor's Note: Franklin Pierce Athletics Feature Writer Morgan Miller recently talked with women's tennis player Natasha McCarthy. Natasha is fairly new to the sport of tennis, but in a short amount of time has achieved a modest amount of success.)

By Morgan Miller (Feature Writer)

Sophomore women’s tennis player, Natasha McCarthy, has achieved a significant amount of accolades and experience in her first two years of college than most student-athletes will achieve during their entire four-year careers. 

The 20-year-old biology major, who is concentrating in physical therapy, is currently ranked as the number one singles player on the Franklin Pierce University women's tennis team and also holds the position of co-captain. Those two titles are usually reserved for upperclassmen, but McCarthy embraces the role, even though she is still learning much about the sport.

Tennis was not McCarthy’s first sport of choice when she was growing up. As a youth, McCarthy played soccer for eight years until her freshman year of high school when she felt she needed a change. 

“I quit soccer because I was too short and I got a lot of injuries,” explained McCarthy, who also said her parents encouraged her to continue her athletic career in another sport.“They wanted me to find something I was passionate about and stick with it.”            

McCarthy’s older brother, Robert, introduced her to tennis shortly after that. She started playing competitively during her sophomore year at Conant High School in Jaffrey, N.H., and was ranked as the number two singles player by the end of the season. She continued to play during her junior and senior seasons and in a short amount of time vaulted into the number one position and was captain of the team.

Choosing Franklin Pierce proved to be an easy choice for McCarthy, who is a resident of Rindge, as she moved to the town from Fitchburg, Mass. at the age of 11 with her siblings and parents, Robert and Irene.            

McCarthy met with then-tennis head coach John Losordo during her junior year of high school and quickly became convinced that the University was the right fit for her. She has never regretted the decision. 

“Everyone on campus is very nice and there are some really great professors here,” she said. "I really believe Franklin Pierce is helping to prepare me for the real world once I graduate." 

McCarthy did not have the opportunity to play for Losordo at the collegiate level, but current head coach Alex Eckhardt was excited to welcome the newcomer to the team in the fall of 2010. Eckhardt encouraged McCarthy and challenged her to start her career out strong at the school.

“She felt that I had to make an impact immediately,” said McCarthy. "Coach Eckhardt believes in us and pushes us hard to continually improve."

Making an immediate impact is exactly what McCarthy did. As a rookie, she posted a respectable 5-8 singles record as well as a 4-9 mark in doubles play.

McCarthy expressed that one of the highlights of her career to this point was during her first match against Saint Michael’s. “It was one of the biggest learning experiences of my life,” she said. “It gave me a better perspective of Division II athletics and the work it requires to compete at this level. It takes a lot of hard work.”

As for the future of her tennis career, McCarthy has very high hopes for the team and is really happy with the overall team dynamic. “We work really well together as a team and get along well,” she said. “I would like to see more people join the team in the near future because the program is moving in a good direction and it will be fun to be a part of."

McCarthy as well as the rest of the women’s tennis team will begin their spring season on March 28 in a home match vs. Merrimack at 12 p.m.