The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Damico has high expectations for Women's Tennis senior season
09.16.2011 | Women's Tennis
Sept. 16, 2011
Dalton Pool, Texas Media Relations
After representing her country at the World University Games in Shenzhen, China, Krista Damico returns both motivated and determined to finish on top for her final season as a Texas Longhorn.
Damico, a senior from Parker, Colorado, has enjoyed a very successful career here on the Forty Acres, racking up 65 career singles victories and 62 doubles victories, but is focused on leaving The University of Texas as a Big 12 champion and perhaps even more.
"We really want to win the Big 12 championship this year," Damico said. "We've fallen short the past couple of years, losing in the finals both times, but this year I think we have a real advantage with all our young, up and coming players that these other schools have yet to see."
Damico and her teammates have been putting in a lot of hours this preseason and feel like they have improved because of it.
"It's been one of the more difficult preseasons that we've had. Not only have the coaches been pushing us, we've been pushing each other in practice and holding one another accountable," Damico said. "Everyone has been on the same page, and we've been working really hard. It's so refreshing and nice to be around a group of people who are wanting the same thing as you and are completely dedicated to the sport and their team."
As a senior, Damico has taken her leadership role very seriously and hopes she can lead her teammates to big things both on and off the court.
"We have a very young team this year with four freshman and three sophomores, but they are all so willing to work and are so dedicated, that I feel like if I can be a positive role model to these girls, and be there for them when they need me," she said. "Then this team will be capable of great things."
Damico knows all about the hard work it takes to be an outstanding collegiate athlete, and not just because she is one herself. She comes from a family full of college athletes -- most notably, her older brother, Kellen Damico, who just finished up a stellar career here at UT last spring and turned professional.
"It's weird not having him here anymore. We moved out of our house when we were 14 to go to an academy together, and ever since then we had gone to the same school, so I would see him on daily basis," Krista said. "Not having him here is definitely an adjustment, but we still talk and I foresee a lot of phone calls this season."
Not only was Krista's brother a collegiate athlete, so were both of her parents and her grandfather. Her grandfather, Ed Gilbert, was a swimmer at The University of Texas and was the main reason that Krista and her brother decided to come to Austin.
Gilbert is one of Krista's biggest fans, and makes it to almost all of her home matches.
"My grandpa really pushed the both of us into looking at Texas, and ever since an early age this was really the only school we wanted to go to."
This upcoming weekend Krista and four of her Longhorn teammates will be traveling to Durham, North Carolina to compete in the prestigious Duke Invitational. Damico and the rest of the Longhorns can be seen in action here on the Forty Acres on Sept. 22 when UT hosts its own invitational that spans the whole weekend.
"Duke is obviously our first tournament of the year and it's honestly one of the hardest we play in," Damico said. "But we have been working really hard this preseason and feel confident about our chances."
