Nicholle Torres: Tennis and Beyond
Nicholle Torres is active. She's dynamic on the tennis court and she's energetic in the pursuit of her passions. In her work experience she's a natural and hands-on leader, as a community member she is vigorous in how she gives back, and on the tennis court she's a star.
As a business administration major, Nicholle wants to work in banking upon graduation. Last summer she ran a camp in Pembroke Pines, Florida, where she had a wide array of responsibility that gave her valuable experience which she can put towards this ambition. Nicholle had quantitative and qualitative responsibility that will be a resource in the financial world. She says, "That job helped me learn how to deal with different kinds of people, administer the finances of the camp, and be a leader."
Nicholle also uses her drive to be active in giving back to her community. She's involved with Buddy Up, an organization devoted to making a difference for children with Down syndrome through fitness and sports. She was first introduced to the organization by her coach who took them to a tennis site to play with Buddy Up children. "It was a very humbling experience, which allowed me to play with some very inspirational children," she says, "I was drawn to Buddy Up because when I was younger I volunteered for the Special Olympics in both the swimming and tennis events. Buddy Up reminded me of what a great time I had and what a difference it makes for these children."
Even with all of this great work, competitive tennis is far from an afterthought. Nicholle's tennis accolades practically speak for themselves. Upon first suiting up for the Tartans in 2014, Nicholle was an All-UAA First Team selection at No. 2 doubles and an All-UAA Second Team selection at No. 4 singles. In 2015 she was once again an All-UAA Second Team selection, this time at No. 3 singles. In just two seasons she's won 72 out of her 107 matches and has played a key role in the Tartans advancing to the NCAA Quarterfinals both years with season-ending national rankings of seventh and sixth, respectively.
Nicholle believes that this year the Tartans have a chance to go even further. She says, "Our upcoming spring season will be probably be the best one yet. We have depth on our team that I have never seen before. Because of our competitive drive and overall talent, we have the opportunity to go further at NCAAs than the past two years. I'm excited to see what happens."
Beyond the team's on-court success, Nicholle relishes in what CMU women's tennis has brought to her life off of the court. "Playing on the Carnegie Mellon tennis team has allowed me to make lasting friendships with my teammates and represent CMU athletics for the rest of my life. I wouldn't want to play for any other team," she says, "Even two years into my tennis career at CMU, thinking about being part of the tennis team and representing CMU everyday still gives me goosebumps."