Persistence Pays Off for Miami's Eichkorn
By: Rob Dunning
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – When Bianca Eichkorn was told in a team meeting by head coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews she had been voted ACC Player of the Year, there wasn’t much of a reaction from anyone. Partly because it was expected, mostly because it wasn’t about the team.
College tennis a unique game. It’s a team sport that relies almost entirely on the performances of individuals – individuals whose performances on their own have everything to do with their team’s success.
That said, Miami is where it is today – in the Top 10 and one of the more formidable programs in the country – mostly because of one individual.
Since joining the program in the fall of 2007, Eichkorn – now a 23-year-old senior and the seventh-ranked player in the country — has done nothing but be successful. It’s been 780 days since she last lost to an ACC opponent in the regular season. That’s 31 straight wins in a conference that consistently has as many as six or seven teams ranked in the Top 25.
This past Saturday in yet another straight set win over a highly-ranked opponent, the Tengen, Germany native became Miami’s all-time winningest player (for both the men’s and women’s programs) when she recorded her 132nd career singles win in a loss against UNC.
“It was hard to play that match and not think about it,” Eichkorn said. “It was a nice feeling to get that record, but ultimately I was more upset about our team losing.”
Her win moved her past former teammate Laura Vallverdu, who held the record one season before Eichkorn claimed it a few days ago.
“It has been a pleasure to coach Bianca throughout her collegiate career,” Yaroshuk-Tews said. “As a coach, I take great pride in the individuals who graduate from this program. The demands here are not easy and the transition to college tennis is a difficult one. It was not any easier for Bianca, leaving her family and embarking on a new way of life was all very scary for her at first. Her maturity, honesty and belief in those around her paved the way, but it was Bianca’s hard work that led her to new heights along that path. Her impact on this program will be felt for years to come.”
As the highest-ranked player in the ACC, it really wasn’t much of a surprise that Eichkorn was selected by the conference’s coaches as the league’s player of the year. After all, she has gone 25-2 since the middle of November and has won 17 of her last 18 in both singles and doubles.
“I was really, really happy,” Eichkorn said. “Deep down, it was about how all of the hard work I have put in paid off. It was a nice honor and great to win it in my senior year.
“It shows me that the coaches across the conference take me seriously and they recognize how much work I have put in,” Eichkorn said. “It’s probably not just about me striking tennis balls but more about how I am as a competitor. I am a fair player and every time I step out on the court, I set out to respect my opponents and honor the game. I’d like to think all of those qualities were considered when I was selected.”
The coaches aren’t the only ones that appreciate Eichkorn’s game. Clemson’s Josipa Bek – one of the nation’s best players and the only one in the conference to win a set over Eichkorn this season – recognizes something special when the two compete against one another.
“I think we have a lot of respect for each other and we enjoy playing against each other,” Bek said. “She is my good friend, but we try to understand the sport and just give our best on the court, even though we know there will be only one winner.
“I respect her as a tennis player on the court and as a person off the court,” Bek added. “When I am playing against her, I can see that she is trying hard every point, just as I do, and we just enjoy the competition every time we play. She is definitely one of the best players in the country.”
Eichkorn isn’t the hardest hitter, or the most athletic or strongest or fastest. She overcomes, mostly because she wants it more and is willing to work harder than everyone else.
“What I have learned the most since I’ve been here is consistency and discipline can take you a long way,” Eichkorn said. “Not just in tennis, but in life. I’ve put in a lot of work since my freshman year and the consistency that Paige and the other coaches preach to me every day is reflected in the numbers. I never really hit a stretch where I had losses followed by losses. I always had the ability to bounce back and I think that was the end result.”
The ACC Player of the Year honor was the fourth garnered by a Miami player in the seven years since the Hurricanes joined the conference, as she joined former Canes Megan Bradley (2005) and Audra Cohen (2006, 2007) in the elite group.
“To be associated with those great names is an honor,” Eichkorn said. “Both were unbelievable players and to be recognized on their level is something I am certainly grateful for.”
She clearly belongs and everybody knows it.
“If I could choose one player in the entire country to be the leader of this team, it would be undoubtedly Bianca Eichkorn,” assistant coach Alex Santos said. “I get amazed every single day with her constant desire, dedication and commitment to lead by example, inspire her teammates and take her game and this program to higher standards.
“Her legacy will for sure carry on in this program for years and years to come and I have no doubt that her future will be everything she wants it to be,” Santos added.
Eichkorn is just as good in the classroom as she is on the court. She was named the 2010 ACC Scholar Athlete of the Year and has made the Dean’s List every semester since she arrived in Coral Gables. Upon graduation and following the NCAA Tournament, she plans on moving back home where she already has a job lined up.
It can wait for now.
“I know a lot is already done, but there is so much more left,” Eichkorn said. “The most important days are still ahead. I really want to prepare for what is coming up the best I can. Putting in extra hours, staying late, working harder…whatever it is going to take to get the result that I want. I want to enjoy every single match because I don’t know which one will be the last.
The Canes will likely host NCAA Regionals here the second weekend of May. Then it’s off to the Sweet 16, a place Miami has been five years running.
Eichkorn knows what is ahead and what it will take to put in a long run. She’ll be ready. But as impactful as she has been and will be to the Hurricanes’ success, it takes everyone. It’s not about all the individual accolades. It’s about all six courts.
“We have shown this season that when everybody just takes care of their own court, we can play with anybody,” Eichkorn said. “Our eyes don’t need to be wandering to other courts. Everybody has to be accountable for their own point. That is what has brought us to this point. If we can continue to have that competitive and energetic spirit, it’s going to be really, really hard to beat us.”
That mentality starts at the top with Eichkorn and works its way down the line-up. Her impact on the team and influence on her teammates isn’t something necessarily noticed, but it is there.
“Bianca has always led by example and has been a player of few words,” Yaroshuk-Tews said. “Her teammates look up to her for the example she portrays each and every day. It has never just been about Bianca. She is always there for her teammates to hit extra or simply listen to a problem they may have. Her overall focus has always been on helping her team succeed, she takes her `one and a half points’ opportunity very seriously. Over time, this philosophy has flourished into an absolutely amazing career.”
A career full of records, honors and awards, yet defined by so much more.
