Walk-ons try to prove their worth for w. tennis

Walk-ons try to prove their worth for w. tennis

By Chris Isidro

They each took separate paths to UCLA. They all have different
journeys ahead. But at every home match, the walk-ons of the Bruin
women’s tennis team find common ground in the blue seats lining
Court 1 at the Los Angeles Tennis Center.

A love for the game and the desire to improve lured Michelle
Jannone, Kathy O’Daly and Kerry Gallant to Westwood. Though they
seem to have it easy ­ not having to deal with the pressures
of competition ­ the walk-ons make just as many sacrifices as
their scholarship teammates.

"They probably face even more pressures than scholarship
athletes because many of them have jobs to make ends meet," UCLA
head coach Bill Zaima said. "Michelle is a prime example of the
classic walk-on athlete."

Jannone, a senior from Wimberley, Texas, took a winding road to
Westwood. She left Texas after high school for a change of scenery
and just happened upon Orange County and enrolled at Orange Coast
College.

"I just wanted to change and I heard a lot of good things about
California, so I just wanted to get away, try something new,"
Jannone said. "I moved to Huntington Beach and the only choices
there were OCC and Golden West."

At OCC, Jannone began to take her tennis seriously. She compiled
a 28-8 record there, including a 17-1 record at No. 3 singles. When
it came time to transfer, Jannone did not want to see her tennis
career end so soon.

"I wasn’t ready to give up athletics," she said. "So I just
decided to give it a shot and see what happens."

O’Daly left the security of a scholarship behind to find greener
pastures at UCLA. She made a name for herself at Diamond Bar,
leading her high school to two section titles and also landing
among the top-30 juniors in the country.

Though she was not offered a scholarship by the elite collegiate
programs, O’Daly was good enough to earn a full ride at Division I
Sacramento State. Once there, she realized that her scholarship did
not necessarily buy happiness.

"It was torture, I didn’t like it at all," O’Daly said of her
two years of Sac State. "The tennis program went downhill with
three coaches in two years, the academics weren’t good and there’s
nothing to do in Sacramento."

Gallant, the only freshman walk-on, has one of the biggest
hearts on the squad as displayed by her spunky nature. Though the
smallest player on the team at 5-feet-3-inches, she came to UCLA
with several impressive wins in juniors.

Gallant received about a dozen scholarship offers, but decided
to forgo a full ride because of UCLA’s fine academic and athletic
tradition and the prodding of assistant coach Henry Hines.

"I was debating the pros and cons and Henry just actively
recruited me to walk on," Gallant said. "I also asked myself if I
wanted to have a tennis scholarship or have a job in the future, a
career and maybe also a tennis scholarship."

Each of the walk-ons spend up to 20 hours a week on the courts
working to build a collegiate game. Jannone, who will make her
third appearance this season against Pacific today, had a
particularly difficult time juggling the team in her daily
schedule.

"Well academically, I’m suffering," Jannone said. "Financially,
I’m getting by working 15-20 hours a week. It was worse last year,
but academics is where it’s hurting me the most."

O’Daly and Gallant hope to break into the top eight and possibly
earn the elusive scholarship. Despite limited attention from the
coaching staff, they feel that one day, they will be on the courts
playing for the school.

"I don’t feel like I’m a walk-on," Gallant said. "I know I’ll be
out there soon, it’s only time. I think (the other players) know
I’m good enough to be out there, I just need a chance to prove
it."

"My goal will be to earn that scholarship, hopefully by fall
quarter," O’Daly added. "Then we’ll see where we can go from there
­ maybe All-American someday."

The two returning walk-ons will be pressed to earn that spot in
the lineup. The Bruins lose only one senior and will have freshmen
competing to fill the void.

"If I don’t get a scholarship in two years, I’m going to France
and study there for a year," Gallant said. "But it would be nice if
I could save my parents the money to send me here."