By Jim Hague
Every college coach, regardless of the sport, would tell you that there’s one characteristic about an athlete that should stand out over any other.
Consistency.
“That’s what you’re looking for,” Rutgers-Newark women’s tennis coach Kevin Morris said. “You want to have someone with consistency that can play singles and doubles, every match, every day.”
And that’s the best way Morris can describe his second singles and first doubles player, senior Michelle Kvitnitsky.
“Her consistency is incredible,” Morris said. “She never gets rattled and plays through pressure moments. She doesn’t give points away and doesn’t beat herself. She’s always playing against good players.”
Kvitnitsky also had to handle a bit of adversity this season. After spending all of the 2012 season as the Scarlet Raiders’ No. 1 singles player, Kvitnitsky was beaten out this year by teammate Dhaneya Kumar in head-to-head playoffs before the season.
“I’m sure she was disappointed, but she handled it well,” Morris said. “You don’t lose No. 1 in one shot. The facts are the facts. She got beat, but she handled it pretty well. She goes out and gives her all in every point.”
Kvitnitsky was not overly disappointed with being moved to second singles.
“To be honest, I didn’t take it bad,” Kvitnitsky said. “I had a losing record in singles last year. Now this year, I have a better record and I’m helping the team. I’m happy to contribute to the team as much as I can.”
Kvitnitsky has been playing tennis since she was a youngster, considering her father Mikhail, mother Inna and brother Anatoly all play.
“I guess I was about 5 or 6,” Kvitnitsky said. “I started playing with my entire family. My Dad used to have a saying that it was ‘Tennis Time,’ and we’d all go to play. It was a lot of fun. I love playing tennis.”
Kvitnitsky, who played high school tennis at Clifton, chose Rutgers-Newark because she wanted to play tennis in college.
“When I got in touch with Coach Morris, he was very enthusiastic about me playing there,” Kvitnitsky said. “That meant a lot to me.”
That’s why Kvitnitsky has become one of the most reliable players on the Scarlet Raiders’ roster.
“She’s played every match, singles and doubles, for four years,” Morris said. “There’s one important aspect of capability and that’s availability. Well, Michelle has been available for all four years.”
Kvitnitsky has even had to work through pain and injury.
“I had to go to the trainer for my ankles and knees,” Kvitnitsky said. “I had to have my elbows wrapped. It’s more mind over matter.”
Last year, Kvitnitsky broke a bone in her foot, yet kept playing.
“I was taking an ice bath every day, before and after every match,” Kvitnitsky said. “I went out, hit for 20 minutes and then forgot about it. I focused on everything else, trying to be a better athlete. I love tennis and I love this team. I knew I had to be there for them. Whatever I could do to contribute, I did it.”
This season, Kvitnitsky has posted a 5-4 record at second singles, including a huge win last weekend over Baruch in straight sets. With her doubles partner Yara Elsekhely, Kvitnitsky has a 3-6 mark.
“She’s quiet on the court, but she’s the one who gets everyone else going,” Morris said. “She’s very supportive of her teammates. On the court, she’s not overly emotional and doesn’t get rattled.”
Kvitnitsky will graduate with a degree in accounting. What does she plan to do with that degree?
“That’s the million dollar question,” she laughed.
She’s already done consulting work for a medical device company and has interned at Investment Bank, so she has a bit of a head start.
“I’m still trying to find out what I’d like to do,” Kvitnitsky said. “But I’ve enjoyed my four years here. It’s been a pleasure to play tennis here and go to school here. With the team we have, it’s even more than I could have asked for.”
