From walk-on to team star, this Gamecock's ascension, leadership fuel NCAA goals
The South Carolina women’s tennis team is in a familiar position this season, and the lone senior on this year’s squad, Hadley Berg, believes the Gamecocks have the ability to reach even higher milestones.
South Carolina will host an NCAA regional for the third consecutive year beginning Friday at the Carolina Tennis Center. What Berg is hoping to accomplish is seeing the Gamecocks advance deeper than the Sweet 16, a place their season ended a year ago.
“Last year, we set goals of reaching the Sweet 16, and when we did that, we realized we can do more,” the Greenbrae, Calif. , native said this week. “We want to play our best at tournament time, and I think that’s where we are as a team. We’ve been a little more comfortable with our success this season.”
The Gamecocks are 19-6 overall and finished 11-2 in the SEC. A couple of injuries derailed them at the end of the year, but after not playing since April 20 against Arkansas in the SEC tournament, they seem to be fully healthy going into the postseason.
Berg has been a huge part of that success. She is 23-7 overall in singles and 11-6 in dual matches and the highest-ranked player on the team at No. 34 in the country. She is three wins away from reaching 100 career victories and has a chance to reach that milestone if the Gamecocks can make a deep run into the tournament.
The role of leader is one she’s embraced with four juniors, two sophomores and three freshmen on the roster.
“I’ve been lucky because we’ve had great senior leadership in the past,” Berg said. “They led by example, and I still lean on them. I think the biggest thing is this year we’re all on the same page as far as accountability, and everyone tries to lead from within. We want that to be the culture around here.”
Junior Paige Cline likely will play doubles with Berg this weekend. The duo has a 12-8 overall mark and is 9-4 in dual matches. Cline has seen the progression of Berg over the past four years. Berg went from playing in the No. 4 through 6 spots her first three years to playing at the top of the lineup this season.
“Hadley has been a huge part of this team and has filled a huge leadership role as the only senior and is just really a great example for everyone,” Cline said. “Even though she is playing 1 and 2, she is just a great role model for everyone because her mentality is not really what spot she is playing at, she just does the best she can for the team. She is going to be a really big role to fill next year when she leaves.”
Coach Kevin Epley couldn’t be more pleased with the way Berg’s career turned out.
“Hadley has been great,” Epley said. “For someone who came into this program as a walk-on and has worked her way up and done everything we have asked her to do and been a leader this year as our lone senior, we couldn’t ask for anything more.”
IF YOU GO
What: NCAA women's tennis tournament
Where: Carolina Tennis Center on USC's campus, 1316 Heyward St., Columbia
Tickets: $5 general admission for each round, and $3 for students with a valid student ID. Children 2 and younger free.
Parking: Free at Heyward Street Garage located at 1300 Heyward St. Additional overflow parking located along the surrounding streets.
Friday
11 a.m. Virginia vs. VCU
2 p.m. South Carolina vs. Quinnipiac
Saturday
2 p.m. TBD
NCAA men's tennis
The South Carolina men’s tennis team also will open play in the NCAA tournament this weekend. The Gamecocks will play Old Dominion at 11 a.m. Saturday in the Winston-Salem Regional. Wake Forest and Navy are the other teams in the regional.
This story was originally published May 10, 2018 at 11:19 AM with the headline "From walk-on to team star, this Gamecock's ascension, leadership fuel NCAA goals."