For senior tennis star Chloe Sher, the line between Division 1 athlete and successful Division 1 athlete has been crossed.
"Chloe has brought a level of play at Seton Hall that we haven't seen before," head coach Greg Wyzykowski said.
"She is probably the first player since I've been here that's achieved a regional ranking. She has been great in the classroom as well, which is important." The environmental studies major from Hong Kong said she feels she is having a rough start to her final season at Seton Hall; however, she has never lost sight of why she chose to come to Seton Hall in the first place.
"I met coach in the tennis showcase at Yale in my senior year of high school," Sher said. "Coach offered me a scholarship, it's Division 1 tennis, and it's near the city so it was the best fit for me."
Sher has already made history this season, becoming the first Seton Hall tennis player to be named to back-to-back All-Conference teams.
Sher noted that the single greatest moment of her time with the Pirates was going to the Big East Championship during her sophomore year.
"Chloe has brought respect- ability to our program, which we hope to keep making stronger," Wyzykowski said. "Chloe is the type of person who I can walk away from and whether it's a good day or a bad day, I know she's going to get it done."
Wyzykowski said the team has found success from a newcomer this season who has similar abilities to Sher; however, whether she'll be as good as Sher is "a totally different question."
Sher, who plans to attend graduate school after she graduates in the spring, pondered what she is going to miss the most once that time comes.
"I'm going to miss being around my teammates, being with Rocio (Portela) because we've been roommates for four years, mingling with the team and coach, practices every day," Sher said. "The team is a pretty close pack, so I'm going to miss that the most."
Wyzykowski said what the past four years with Sher has meant for him as a coach. "It's been a pleasure having her and I'm already missing it," he said.
All that's left for Sher to do is compete for one more year on a high note -- something she's had no trouble doing in her previous three seasons.
Sher seemed to realize the time was running out, but she said she was looking forward to cherishing the moments one last time. She even offered some advice for her teammates she'll be leaving behind.
"Keep working hard and enjoy every moment at Seton Hall," Sher said. "They (Seton Hall) have really great support from the academic office and the athletic department. It's a very close community, so take advantage of that and treasure that opportunity."
Wyzykowski said he is planning what he'll say to Sher as she exits the court for the final time.
"Remember life is a tennis match. Just because you're one point away from winning, the match isn't over and if you're two points away from losing, the match isn't over and that's life."
Sher's final season continues on Oct. 11 as the team travels to Flushing, N.Y., to participate in the USTA Invitational.
David Heim can be reached at david.heim@student.shu.edu.
