The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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AUGUST 2017 THE WOLVERINE 23 Michigan became her school the very first time she visited. Coach Ronni Bernstein recruited her, but Minor — out of Mundelein, Ill. — wasn't necessarily looking to make the move to the Great Lakes State. That quickly changed when she got on campus. "I fell in love right when I got there," she said. "After my first visit, I was definitely set on Michigan." Two years in, she's already left an everlasting mark on the program. That's a little ironic, since amid a 33-6 season, she dealt with technique struggles. As always, she noted, Bernstein and associate head coach Teryn Ash- ley-Fitch labored diligently to get her back on track. "Ronni and Teryn worked with me, fed me a lot of balls for my back- hand," Minor said. "I kind of lost it a little bit during the season. "She and Teryn have helped me so much. I struggled with my serve a lot last year, and they have done a tremendous job, helping me out with that. I'd go in before practice for indi- vidual practices and work with them. "They'd help me with my serve and give me different tactics to work on. They've been great in develop- ing my game. In the NCAAs, they were a huge help to me. I honestly wouldn't get through each match without them on the court with me." There were certainly in-season highlights mingling with the inevi- table struggles along the way. Minor found herself down several match points in one qualifying showdown, but rallied to clinch a win for the Wolverines. She stressed, though, that it's never just one person who puts a win on the board. Minor made the mental adjustment to performing for a team and enjoying all that comes with that closeness. "Before college, you have junior tennis, and it's individual tennis, so you're used to it, just focusing on your match," she recalled. "Com- ing to college and being on a team, it's not just about you anymore. It's about the team, and putting a point on the board for the team. "It's kind of hard. You do have to focus on your match to get that point, but you have to cheer on your team- mates and get them going the best you can in their matches and help them out, if they're struggling with anything. "It's fun being on a team and cheering and playing beside your teammates like that. It's definitely different than junior tennis, and for me, it's more fun." She'll have a different sort of fun at the U.S. Open, beginning Aug. 28. NCAA champions get an automatic berth in that prestigious venue. Minor said she's taking it day by day, and looking to get the most out of the months leading up to her ju- nior season at Michigan. "Nothing is really going to change for me," she said. "I'm going to play some tournaments this summer, get ready for the Open and then come back playing for the team in the fall." Sitting at the top of the NCAA mountain won't affect her approach, Minor insisted. "I have the same expectation ev- ery season. I want to do my best to become a better player for my team, each season," she said. "Coming into my sophomore year, I knew what the pressure is like … "I obviously didn't expect to end the season how I did, at NCAAs. I never expected that would happen to me, especially because I struggled a little bit in the season with my ten- nis game. Then all of a sudden, at NCAAs, I started to play well." Minor might be majoring in un- derstatement, but that's okay. She served up a championship when it counted. ❏ Minor was a singles and doubles All-American as a freshman in 2015-16 — becoming only the second in program history to do both in the same season — then went 33-6 in singles this past year en route to a national title. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS