THE FIRE INSIDE IS ABLAZE

Solymar Colling isn’t interested in average

by Mike Sauer

Back when she was just 6 years old, Solymar Colling’s father, Randal, sat his youngest daughter down for a chat that would, eventually, define her future.

The conversation centered around sports; specifically, which sport Colling liked playing the most.

“I loved tennis, and I loved it because my sisters were already playing at that time,” Colling recalls. “I knew I wanted to play with them, and to beat them. My dad told me I needed to pick one sport to focus on, so it was an easy decision for me.”

That decision has paid bigtime dividends since, as Colling’s athleticism, fiery competitive nature and storied work ethic have served as the foundation for a decorated amateur tennis career. Now a redshirt senior at the University of San Diego, her on-court accomplishments while a member of the Torero women’s tennis team are as impressive as they are numerous. One in particular that jumps off the page is her being only the sixth player in program history to be named as an All-American in singles — and as a first-year, no less.

Yet, when that amazing achievement is brought up, Colling shrugs her shoulders and smiles, opting instead to talk about the success the program as a whole has enjoyed over the last few years. “Honestly, the memory that really sticks out to me about my career at USD was this year, when we qualified for the ITA Indoor Championships,” she says. “We hadn’t done that since I’d been here, and that field has the best programs in women’s tennis. I think we all were really excited about that.”

While Colling is buoyed by team success, she also knows — and loves — the fact that tennis is a predominately individual sport. There’s no one to blame for your errant forehand. Or double fault into the net. The successes and failures fall squarely on your shoulders. “I’m a really aggressive player by nature. I like to try and end points quickly and go for big shots. And I feel freer to take those chances when I’m playing singles, because I know it’s all on me.”

Becoming a successful tennis player requires a robust interpersonal toolkit. Perhaps chief among those skills is the ability to — as the saying goes — embrace the suck. The hours upon hours of on-court work refining both your strokes and serve; the early-morning workouts; the long car rides from tournament to tournament. The ability to put the time in to improve often separates good from great, something Colling knows all too well.

“Honestly, I love practicing. I love the work,” she says, with a grin, “I might love it too much.”

Her dedication to improving her game has not inhibited her ability to excel in the classroom.

Colling is a three-time recipient of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s Scholar-Athlete Award and plans to pursue a career in real estate if she’s unable to pursue her primary goal of playing professional women’s tennis.

“Both of my parents are in commercial real estate, and I took an appraisal class that was life-changing,” she says. “I’m also studying to get my real estate license in addition to continuing to play tennis for USD, and training to play at the professional level after I’m finished at this level. It’s a lot … but I love it!”