In high school, Jada Bissett was a two-time state semifinalist in tennis, and as captain, she led her team to top five rankings all four years. She was born in Zurich, Switzerland but lived in multiple European countries as her father, former Detroit Red Wings player Tom Bissett, chased his professional hockey career.
You were born in Zurich, Switzerland. Is that the place you call home?
I only lived in Switzerland for one year then moved to Finland, Germany, and then to Sweden. I lived in Sweden for five years and learned the language. That’s where I remember the most about Europe, so I would say I’m from there.
Are you still fluent in Swedish?
I’ve lost a lot of now, but I can still understand it.
What allowed you to live in those countries?
My dad, Tom Bissett, played professional hockey. He played for the Red Wings for five games — that’s his claim to fame. He was on the farm team the Adirondack Red Wings and played in Europe for 12 years. He retired and we moved back to Michigan.
Why Michigan?
My parents met at Michigan Tech and they like the area.
Are you a Michigan or Michigan State fan?
Ahh, I don’t really care. I like hockey, I’m a Red Wings fan.
How did you get into tennis?
I have no idea (laughing). I used to play a lot of sports when I was little and I showed promising talent in tennis so my parents had me choose one to focus on—I chose tennis.
Is there one tennis player you really admire?
I’m a Roger Federer fan until I die.
Can you describe your on-court personality?
Off court I’m typically a pretty nice person, well most people would say, but on court I’m pretty intense and aggressive. It’s kind of weird; I’m just really competitive.
What do you mean by intense and aggressive as far as the game goes?
Tennis is an honest sport. You don’t have line judges during matches so you call your own ball. Nobody is watching your court. Sometimes when girls can’t get to a ball they’ll just call it out. It’s really frustrating. You can’t do anything in tennis unless someone comes to your court.
Do you think that the integrity of players is different at the college level?
I haven’t experienced [cheating] in college yet, but it can’t be worse than junior tennis; that was brutal. I think it will definitely be better at this level.
Your coach said that your height is gong to be a huge advantage this year. From a technical aspect, how is height a factor?
It will be huge in doubles because I have a long wingspan. It will help a lot at the net and allowing us to be more aggressive. In singles, serving wise, I can get more power and more angle. I probably should have played volleyball or basketball, but oh well. I like tennis.
When did you develop a passion for tennis?
The third grade was when I really started to love the sport.
You’re from Grand Rapids, Mich. Was closeness to your family part of the reason you chose Hillsdale?
Definitely. I have two sisters and we are really close. I have a really special relationship with my family and sisters. I didn’t even last a week until they came and visited. They will be coming to all my matches, which will be really nice.
From a technical perspective what do you need to work on at the collegiate level?
I can definitely improve my offensive game, and become more of an all-court player. I love coming to the net. I want to improve on that facet. My game has already improved with coach Nikki Walbright, she’s an unbelievable coach.
What do you think of Hillsdale’s athletic facilities?
They’re unbelievable. When I came here for my first visit the Biermann wasn’t finished. When I came back it was state of the art, amazing. We are really lucky for this. It’s a huge advantage having an indoor tennis complex. Before the Biermann, the closest indoor facility was in Toledo.
What are you looking forward to most for the upcoming season?
Last season, our team finished top five in the GLIAC, and I think we can definitely beat that finish. And I personally want to take out Grand Valley. I’m just looking forward to spending time with the team, they’re a great group of girls. And of course, improving my game with Coach Nikki.
You can catch Jada in action at home September 20-22 at the outdoor tennis courts.
