In Play(er) of the Week, our goal is to highlight outstanding athletes or moments from games that deserve extra attention.
Jackie Soloveychik ’27, a computer science major from Dublin, Ireland and Bellevue, Wash., is coming off a stellar 2024 season for the women’s tennis team. As a first year, she was named NESCAC Rookie of the Year and earned All-NESCAC Second Team Doubles honors with her doubles partner, Leila Epstein ’26. Soloveychik finished the regular season 14–1 (9–1 NESCAC) in singles matches, and she was undefeated in both the NESCAC playoffs and NCAA playoffs. In doubles, she and Epstein were 13–2 (8–2 NESCAC) in the regular season and won 2 of 3 matches on the Cards’ way to a fifth straight NESCAC title. Many would consider this an impressive resume for a full college career, but Soloveychik is just getting started. The Argus recently sat down with Soloveychik to discuss her tennis journey prior to Wesleyan, her successful first year, and the contagious team spirit that fuels Cardinals tennis.
The Argus: How did you first get into tennis?
Jackie Soloveychik: So, I’m from Dublin, Ireland, and nobody in my family plays tennis. I had played stuff like soccer before. And then one day, I saw a tennis racket and thought it was cool. And then my parents took me to a local club to play, and it was so much fun. After that, I asked for a tennis racket for Christmas. Then I started playing for fun and eventually started competing.
A: What was the biggest difference you experienced between high school and college tennis?
JS: I actually wasn’t playing high school tennis. Over the last two years of high school, I did a hybrid program, online school and in-person, that my high school let me do while I was training in Florida. I also used to travel internationally for [Junior] tournaments, so that was completely different and very competitive. People definitely love tennis there, but it didn’t feel as healthy. It was very cutthroat because it’s Junior kids’ tournaments, and people have a lot of stake in it. And it was hard to do that by yourself, where you’re competing all the time.
A: What’s the most rewarding and most challenging part about being a student-athlete at Wesleyan?
JS: I think the most rewarding part is probably being on a team and being supported by so many people. Your professors understand, and your friends understand. There’s a whole support system. Our coach [Mike Fried] is awesome. He has helped me so much with academics, health, and more. I think being part of something so big is nice, and then a challenge is figuring out how to manage your time for everything. Because at Wesleyan, [there are] so many cool things to do. It’s nice to be on the team, but rationing the time is difficult.
A: We hear a lot about how strong the team culture and chemistry is in women’s tennis. What has that been like for you?
JS: As a freshman, when you first go in, it’s hard to adjust to that dynamic because tennis is such an individual sport. So the fall played a big part of connecting as a team. We do our morning lifts together. We get dinner each time after practice. We’re trying to find ways to be there for each other, help with classes, especially the upperclassmen who have taken classes. So in the spring, when we start competing more, once you start doing hard things together, I feel like it makes you closer. And then it’s this feeling of “Oh, I know when it’s going to be really hard, this person has my back.”
A: What was it like coming in last year as one of four freshmen who all made impacts early in the fall season?
JS: It was really overwhelming at the start because everything was so new. But I want to give props to Leila [Epstein ’26] and Sarah [Youngberg ’26], our two sophomores (now juniors). They led us because our two other upperclassmen were abroad, and they did such a good job of stepping up and showing us what the team culture was like and what it means to be on a team and to be a good teammate. A lot of that goes to them. Without them, it would be really hard. So they really helped us step into the shoes of Wes Tennis.
A: Joining a team that had been four-time defending NESCAC champions with NCAA championship aspirations, did you feel any pressure slotting in at no. 4 singles and no. 2 doubles in such an important role?
JS: We make a really big point on our team that it’s more about standards than expectations. In the back of our minds, we have these concrete goals we want to achieve, but it’s more about putting in the work, stacking our days, and committing to our systems and standards, as we like to say, and then the results come with it.
A: What was your favorite part about the NESCAC playoffs and earning the fifth straight NESCAC championship for Wes?
JS: That was so much fun. It was just insight into what NCAAs would feel like, where we had a lot of close moments like that. I think it was firsthand experience to see what it’s like to be on a team who cares. There were definitely some tough moments, but we were all there for each other.
A: Looking back, what are you most proud of, as a team and individually, from your freshman year?
JS: I’m most proud of how we overcame any hardships that came our way and our resiliency. Every single person was present, every person was committed, and we all were buying into the team culture. This past year, everybody truly believed in the culture that we had, and that made a big difference in big moments. Personally, I was just happy to be there, honestly. I had a few health issues going on, so it was kind of painful to be there physically, but emotionally and mentally, it was the best part of my semester. I was looking forward to the weekends, because [they were] when we got to have so much fun.
A: What was it like learning you were named NESCAC Rookie of the Year, as well as gaining Second Team Doubles honors?
JS: That was a huge honor. I’m so grateful to Coach [Mike] Fried and Coach Steph [Yanosov] and my teammates for supporting me and helping me overcome hardships. I couldn’t have done it without them.
A: Obviously, you had quite the season individually, in doubles, and as a team. We could talk about stats and accolades this entire time, but how do you measure success?
JS: For me personally, success is when you are loving what you’re doing, even when it’s not going your way. I feel like our team is really good at that, which is where our success comes from. Every person on this team loves tennis, loves being there, and loves being a part of something like this. So I guess success is when you’re showing up each and every day, and when you leave, you know that you did the most you could do for that day, that you loved doing it no matter how hard it was or however it went, and that you know you want to go and do it the next day.
A: What are your goals heading into your sophomore season?
JS: My goals heading into this year are to help the freshmen buy into the culture on our team and show them what we had last year so they can enjoy it as much as I did. And to keep enjoying it myself and work hard.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Max Forstein can be reached at mforstein@wesleyan.edu.
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