Alexandra Koch, from Edina, Minn., is a senior mechanical engineering major and co-captain of the women’s tennis team. Following in her older brother’s footsteps, Koch started playing tennis at the early age of four. Growing up, she went to different tennis camps in the Twin Cities area. Besides playing tennis, Koch participated in cross-country skiing and synchronized swimming.
Koch has truly excelled as a tennis player—as the number one seeded player for RPI, she currently has a regular-season singles record of 5-1, and she and her doubles partner and co-captain Michelle Casey also have a regular-season record of 5-1 at first doubles. Her greatest victory came this year against Russell Sage College’s number one player, Elizabeth Lawrence."It was the first time I’ve beaten her in four years," Koch said.
Koch says she has greatly enjoyed being a part of the tennis team during her four years here at RPI. "When I was a freshmen, the upperclassmen taught me a lot about college competition and the game. We are a very supportive team, and we work well together," she said.
Koch believes that the team’s success should be attributed to the coaching staff. The coaches helped the team defeat Union, a feat that hadn’t been accomplished by any Engineer squad in nearly 15 years. The team also earned fifth place in the UCAA tournament over the weekend—one of the best finishes in the team’s history.
Outside of tennis, Koch is busy with friends and schoolwork and is also involved in the Student Sports Marketing Productions Committee, which tries to get student support for RPI sports teams.
In singles competition, Koch uses her naturally quiet demeanor to help her focus more intensely on the match. Her game has a subdued, consistent style. "When I play I try to keep the ball in play and wait for my opponent to make a mistake, then I’ll put the ball away," she said.
Her quiet nature hasn’t weakened her doubles play, though. "Once I get to know someone I’m not so shy; my partner and I play well together because we have known each other for so long and we know one another’s strengths and weaknesses," she said.
Koch uses sports as an outlet for the stress and frustrations of academics, and also as a means of organizing her life. Koch said that she tries to play and model her tennis composure after Lindsay Davenport because she is very talented.
The tennis team finishes its season during the weekend of October 12-14. The team’s last matches will take place in the state tournament at Cornell University. Some of the other teams competing in the tournament will be Skidmore, Rochester, Vassar, and Union.
Koch knows that hard work and determination are the keys to success. She tries to demonstrate these qualities in her play, commitment to the team, and in the other aspects of her life.
