Hard work in classroom and on court pays off for Borza

It is no easy task to handle a full academic schedule and play a sport at the same time,… It is no easy task to handle a full academic schedule and play a sport at the same time, but Nikki Borza makes it look easy.

Almost as easy as she makes tennis look, with her graceful and consistent play as she hits the ball to all the right spots on the court, making all the right moves.

Borza, who is the No. 2 singles player and half of the No. 1 doubles team on Pitt’s tennis squad, has apparently done just that, made all the right moves, both on the court and in the classroom.

As a senior majoring in communications, Borza has been doing the balancing act of tennis and school for the last four years. She was rewarded in August for her achievements in both, when she received the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s Scholar-Athlete award, which was given to only 44 other female athletes nationwide.

The ITA award is only given to juniors and seniors with at least two varsity letters and holds a grade point average higher than 3.5. Borza has also been named to the Academic All-America team every semester of her college career.

She is also involved in numerous honor societies as well as being vice president of the Student Athletic Advisory Board. Borza will graduate in April and plans to go to graduate school, but is unsure what she plans to do as a career. She is interested in staying within athletics because it has been such an important part of her life.

“I get such great support academically,” Borza said. “It’s tough to be in something that takes up as much time as tennis, but you get used to it and everyone is there to help.”

Borza’s tennis career began at any early age.

Her parents were avid tennis players and she has memories of the court as a young child.

“I always laugh because I have pictures of me strolling my baby dolls around the court while my parents were playing,” Borza said.

She started playing in competitive tournaments at age 10 and started playing United States Tennis Association sanctioned events since the age of 12.

Her life in tennis continued to progress as she made the All-State team all four years of high school, culminating in her winning the WPIAL singles championship and taking second place in the Pennsylvania State Championship her senior year.

With her success in high school, Borza always planned on playing tennis in college. Pitt was an obvious choice because she grew up in neighboring Beaver County and interacted with head coach George Dieffenbach.

“I really liked George, I liked the team and I liked that it was close to home, so my parents could come to see my play,” Borza said. “I went with Pitt early on.”

She has had nothing but a successful tennis career through her first 3 1/2 years, in which she has already won 89 matches.

When considering her growth as a player through at Pitt, Borza said, “I think I’ve come a long way, especially in terms of doubles. I played some tournaments before college, but my focus was singles. I think my volley was behind and I didn’t understand doubles strategy very well, but I feel like I’ve become a really good doubles player now with a complete serve and volley game and a knowledge of the strategies. I’ve really gained confidence in the last four years.”

Presently, Borza looks to break into the 100-win club and is excited about her individual game this year.

“In the past, I’ve lost some close matches and I think this year I’m going to win those close matches and win more matches than ever before because I have the confidence now,” Borza said. “I’ve progressed in that I feel like I can always win, that I know how to beat people.”

Borza works hard at her tennis skills, not only physically, but also mentally.

“I think I take [playing tennis] really seriously,” she said. “I can’t take a day off. I like to be really prepared and I think to practice a lot. I’ll go to practice with the team and also go down to Greentree Racquet Club at night to get some extra work in. On the mental end, for me, keeping my emotions in check is my biggest mental aspect, but being mentally ready for each point is big as well.”

Even more so than her own game, Borza feels more strongly about the team as a whole and its ability this year, where she plays an important leadership role as a senior.

“This year more than ever there is really a sense of team, with everyone working hard together,” she added. “When you have your teammates, its so much support and a sense of family. You’re out there for your girls. We’re a really close-knit team.”

Borza also has hopes for the team to make it to the Big East Tournament at the end of April, an event she hasn’t been to since her freshman year.

“Everyone is working hard toward that goal and focused on the team. I just want to get as many wins as I can for the team,” Borza said. “I’ve been blessed with a great team, and it’s just been a great experience here at Pitt.”