It is one thing to be a dominant, older player who, time and time again, leads her team to victory. It is another to do this and also remain an approachable and supportive friend to each of her teammates. Senior Caroline Hammond does both.
A native of Williamsburg, Virginia, Hammond comes from a family of athletes who pass along their abilities. Hammond's father was both a pole-vaulter and a sprinter for William & Mary, and her mother played tennis for the Tribe as well. In high school, besides her strong showing in tennis, Hammond was a competitive volleyball and soccer player -- she lettered once in volleyball and five times in soccer.
On the court, Hammond calls herself a "grinder." She goes into each match with the realization that it is going to be a long one, and she uses her tenacity to continue playing until her opponent has nothing left.
"I know that I'm not going to overpower my opponent," Hammond said. "It all comes down to wanting it more than my opponent and being willing to stay out there longer. I'm not going to give up."
In addition to her perseverance, Hammond has a strong baseline game, meaning that she is able to aggressively play the net by hitting hard, turning hard and using angles to get close and work the net. What Hammond lacks in power she makes up for with skilled maneuverability.
Hammond's talents on the court may not be her greatest achievement. As the only senior on a very young team, she is naturally placed into the role of leader.
"Caroline is a really good kid," assistant coach Troy Porco said. "She's a really good person with a really good heart and people always know that she's coming from the right place."
With the experience of four years of juggling academics, athletics, other activities and a social life, the ability to multitask is something that Hammond has definitely worked to teach her fellow teammates. Hammond believes that beyond giving advice, being a leader means being available to your teammates.
"I really just try to be there and give my teammates advice," Hammond said. "Obviously I've been through the whole first-year experience and the things that you are faced with, and I just try to be there for everyone. Hopefully everyone on the team feels that I am approachable and they're able to talk to me."
Away from tennis, Hammond is more or less a normal student. She is an art history major, an athletic mentor and a member of Pi Beta Phi. She juggles a lot of the everyday commitments while still finding time to be a student athlete.
"Unfortunately I miss a lot of the social events," Hammond said. "However, the friendships that I've formed have been amazing. I think it's necessary to find those friends outside of the athletic world."
Coming on the heels of a strong breakout season last year, it is expected that in her last semester at Virginia, Hammond will continue to excel.
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