The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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48 THE WOLVERINE AUGUST 2019 this is just amazing. I'm so happy." Fahey insists she wasn't easily identified as a surefire top-of-the- mountain athlete when she came to Michigan. A successful juniors per- former, expected by most to do well, she exceeded expectations, including her own. She heaps praise on head coach Ronni Bernstein and associate head coach Teryn Ashley-Fitch. They worked with and believed in her, Fa- hey stressed, engendering a growing belief in herself. "As my career went on and as I started winning matches, I gained a lot of confidence," Fahey said. "The biggest difference, going from fresh- man year to graduating, was hav- ing more belief in myself. My team- mates and coaches and teachers really helped me gain that throughout my four years." Still, it's not like Fahey came to Ann Arbor not knowing which end of the racket to grasp. She went 31-8 in dual match singles as a rookie, 9-0 in the Big Ten on her way to the first of four all-conference honors. The victories included a 15-match win streak over a span covering nearly two months. While acknowl- edging the success, she pointed out she wasn't playing in the team's top spot, performing at No. 3 singles for the Wolverines back then. "I had success, and my competi- tive edge really helped me in those matches," she recalled. "I don't think I was playing my best tennis. As those matches went on and I gained confi- dence, I started to develop more of- fense. "As a freshman, I was overly defen- sive. I relied on my quickness and get- ting balls back. As I rose in the lineup and got to No. 1 … there's such a big difference between the middle of the lineup and No. 1. You're playing the best girl of all the teams. It's a high level." She reached that high level in only her sophomore season, repeating her All-Big Ten feat and earning ITA All-America honors by reaching the quarterfinals of the NCAA Singles Championship. At 36-7, she posted Michigan's second-highest win tally for a single season in only her second year. "My sophomore year, I just used my competitive edge and grinded out a lot of matches," she assured. "That's how I did it in a lot of matches. I had the will to win, more than a lot of my opponents. I just wanted it more. I'm very competitive and very fiery. I just hate to lose. "I used my speed, and my competi- tive nature to fuel me and get through a lot of those matches. I was a good player, but I kept developing. A lot of players, when they reach college, they just kind of plateau. I really took it upon myself to work hard and get even better than I was." She experienced a breakthrough moment mentally in that sophomore season, dominating an NCAA match against North Carolina's Jessie Aney. The two battled evenly in several pre- vious matches, and Fahey drew huge confidence in her growth via the rout. "I went out there and won pretty handily," she said. "That was the first time I'd really beaten her that easily. I was like, wow, I can really do this. I can get far in this tournament." She continued getting far as a junior, despite a slow start. She injured the Fahey earned All-Big Ten honors every season and was the sport's Big Ten Athlete of the Year in 2018 and 2019. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY