Though she comes from a long line of Irish graduates, sophomore Quinn Gleason has already made a name for herself at Notre Dame.
In her first season with the Irish, Gleason was named an all-Big East selection and chosen as the ND Monogram Club Most Valuable Player. With a singles winning percentage of .840 and a 25-8 singles record, Gleason made her mark during her first season. Despite her excellent singles record, Gleason said she's found a new love in doubles play since joining the Irish.
"Singles has always been my favorite," Gleason said. "But since starting college, I've learned to love doubles. I've definitely improved in my doubles play."
Currently, Gleason plays at No. 1 doubles with senior Britney Sanders. The pair has a 3-0 record this season and hope to continue the dominant streak.
"I love having a partner who wants to win just as bad as I do," Sanders said. "We're both very intense on the court, which makes us a great team."
Gleason said she her desire to win has greatly improved since arriving at Notre Dame.
"I've definitely become a better competitor," Gleason said. "I'm able to focus on every point and really have the will to win each point and never let up."
Sanders said Gleason shows with every practice how committed to the game she is.
"Quinn never gets enough of tennis," Sanders said. "Even when her body is hurting she always asks someone to practice more with her."
Gleason said she has gotten stronger since arriving at Notre Dame, which has helped her acclimate to the constant stream of matches during the spring season.
"There's so much more match play," Gleason said. "You have to be able to play match after match continuously for weeks at a time."
Gleason said she is looking forward to seeing what her sophomore season can bring her, especially with the arrival of a new class of players.
"This year we have a ton of potential," Gleason said. "We have a lot of great, motivated freshmen, so I think they're going to be great right off the bat."
As for her own play this season, Gleason said she plans on always finding new things to improve upon.
"I really want to keep improving my game and never get complacent," Gleason said. "There's always things to improve."
