What does lefty Hilary Barte share with Cardinal tennis greats Lilia Osterloh, '00, Marissa Irvin, '02, and Amber Liu, '06? All four women played in the No. 1 singles spot as freshmen.
“Whoa—that's pretty elite company,” the Southern California native says.
Barte stepped to the top of the lineup in February, and head coach Lele Forood, '78, says the move was key to the team's success as the Cardinal prepared for the NCAA tournament.
“She proved that she could basically win every single match,” Forood says. Barte ranked third nationally going into the championships. “And that gave a lot of confidence to the group.”
The No. 4 Cardinal (22-5, 7-1 Pac-10) ultimately lost to No. 5 Baylor in the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament. But Barte finished the season with a team-best 30-8 overall record. She was named the 2008 Intercollegiate Tennis Association National Rookie of the Year.
Barte had to overcome some distracting behavior as she matured in junior competition. “I used to have a very bad temper,” she recalls. “After one particularly bad tantrum [on the courts], my dad came up to me and said, 'Hilary, you're embarrassing yourself and your family. You can't do this anymore.' ”
Barte lets out a scary, gurgling aaaarrrgh. “For three or six months, I'd want to yell—like that. You know that split second before you get really mad, when you can just let it out, or just take a deep breath? My dad's a really, really calm guy, and he said, 'When you miss, just smile and say, “Okay,” and take a deep breath.' He's definitely all about the deep breath.”
Barte has plenty of arrows in her quiver, including a spin on her serve that's “kind of different and awkward,” and an ability to corkscrew her forehand into her opponent's backhand “that may be my biggest strength.”
“Hilary is handling it awfully well,” Forood says, regarding the freshman's composure on the courts. “She's proved to be a very consistent and very good competitor.”
Although she had to withdraw from the Pac-10 individual championships in April with a strained pectoral muscle, Barte came back strong to earn a wild card from the United States Tennis Association for the 2008 U.S. Open.
