University of Tennessee Athletics
Beyond the Courts: Caitlyn Williams
December 03, 2014 | Women's Tennis
While recovering from shoulder surgery, senior Caitlyn Williams spent most of the fall cheering on her fellow teammates, but she did manage to defend her Tennessee Fall Invite title in doubles with Joanna Henderson and finish with a 5-1 record.
She will begin her last stretch as a Lady Vol in January when the team opens the spring season in Las Vegas at a tournament hosted by UNLV.
With a break from tennis, Williams took time to do a Q&A so fans could get to know a little more about her:
Q: Where are you from? What was it like there?
A: "I was born and raised here in Knoxville. My house is about a 10-minute drive from campus. I loved growing up here. I have a lot of fond memories in this city, from playing baseball at the park when I was younger to now playing in front of the home crowd here at UT."
Q: Do you have any pets?
A: "I have a dog and a cat. My dog's name is Rally, and my cat's name is Ace. It's safe to say that we are a tennis family when even our pets' names are tennis related."
Q: If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?
A: "Not cheating off my doubles partner's answer here--but I would like to go to Australia. My brother has been several times for the Australian Open, and he says it's just an incredible place. That's next on my list."
Q: What is your favorite amusement park and why?
A: "I hate roller coasters! So, I'll go with Dollywood Splash Country because water-coasters are about the only form that I can handle."
Q: What is one thing that most people don't know about you?
A: "I can speak 4 languages: English, Spanish, American Sign Language and French."
Q: What would your dream job be?
A: "My dream job would be owning my own restaurant and being a chef there. I've already got some ideas for it. I absolutely love cooking."
Q: What is your favorite kind of music? Do you have a certain artist or song that you like?
A: "I really like country music. It's really easy to sing along to, and it always puts me in a good mood."
Q: What is your favorite sport besides tennis?
A: "Definitely basketball. Basketball was always that other sport for me. I remember my brother teaching me how to shoot the ball pretty much since before I could walk."
Q: Why did you choose Tennessee?
A: "For me, it was pretty much a no-brainer. I grew up a Lady Vol, and it just didn't seem right for me to even look anywhere else. I have known Mike and Sonia since I was very young, and they are excellent coaches. I also knew that I would get incredible support from my family since I went to school so close to home."
Q: What is your major?
A: "My major is Linguistics. It's basically the study of language and its structure."
Q: Has college been what you expected?
A: "I am not sure college is what anyone expects it to be, but it has definitely been quite the experience. I have made some incredible friends in my time here, and I am very thankful for that."
Q: How often do you have homework?
A: "Pretty much every night. There is always something to do, even if it's not due the next day. It's better to get ahead with schoolwork than spend time playing catch up."
Q: How do you manage schoolwork and tennis?
A: "That is one of student-athletes' strengths: time management. We have to be really smart about not getting behind in school so that we have time to workout and play our sports."
Q: What do you do in your spare time?
A: "My partner Jo and I always joke about it, but any chance we get we are usually taking a nap. I also love to cook if I have time."
Q: How did you end up playing tennis?
A: "I was 10 and playing every sport you can name. My mom didn't want me to play because both my brother and my sister played, and she was over it. I saw my brother come home from all his tournaments with trophy after trophy. Finally I begged my mom to let me play and win trophies. That was how she wanted it--she wanted it to be my choice rather than something she wanted me to do."
Q: What is your daily routine for tennis?
A: "On match day, I usually get to the courts a few hours before we warm-up. I heat up my shoulder and get it stretched out. I'll tape up all my blisters and strap my ankle brace on. We always play pump-up music in the locker room before we go onto the court. We have a lot of fun with that."
Q: Where have you improved since last year?
A: "I think that my mental game has improved since last year. I have been working on it a lot, and it's nice to see it paying off."
Q: What is your goal for this season?
A: "I just want to try my best to stay healthy (its been difficult the past 4 years). I want to be able to help the team the best I can."
Q: What match are you looking forward to most this season?
A: "Florida. We have never beaten them, and every year I look forward to that rivalry. This year is our year. We have a team that is very capable of ending the streak."
