Morgan Delp is a history major and journalism minor who will be graduating this spring and teaching social studies and journalism at her alma mater, Toledo Central Catholic, in the fall. She will also be the assistant coach for the school’s women’s tennis team. Delp earned second-team All-GLIAC honors all four years of her collegiate career.
When did you start playing tennis?
I started playing when I was four. My mom grew up playing tennis so she had us in tennis lessons at the same club she grew up at. We loved it and played it ever since. It was kind of the one thing we always did, even when we were playing other sports, we always made time for tennis. My parents were really supportive of it, but never really too pushy, so I think that’s why we stuck with it.
Who all in your family plays tennis?
All five of us kids, both my parents, my grandma, most of my aunts on my mom’s side, uncles, cousins — so a lot of people.
What are you going to miss most about being on the tennis team?
I’ll definitely miss playing the sport at the college level, but what I’ll miss most is the six other girls on the team and the coach. This past weekend we got to stay at one of the girls’ houses, and her parents were so kind and hospitable. I think moments like that — from my parents and my teammates and my coach — are what I’ll miss most.
Do you plan to keep playing tennis?
I’m going to be the assistant coach for my alma mater’s women’s tennis team in the fall, and I’m going to teach social studies and journalism there, so I’m going to keep up the coaching aspect of tennis. There are a lot of opportunities for competitive play for adults, leagues and teams and tournaments, so I’m looking forward to playing for the rest of my life.
How have you managed to balance tennis, Collegian, being in a sorority, and all the things that you do for the past four years?
I’ve definitely had to learn to manage my time and prioritize things, and I’ve done things before that I’ve had to drop as I take bigger responsibilities. You definitely can’t do it all. I think that the support and encouragement system in Hillsdale helps a lot. My coach realizes that academics comes before tennis, and people at the Collegian realize my commitment to the tennis team, and everyone in my sorority understands my commitments. When you love doing all the things that you do, it makes it doable, I think.
What has it been like having your sister (junior Sydney Delp) on the team?
It’s been so much fun. It’s great because we get to play doubles together. There have been few matches where we don’t get to play doubles together. We did it all through high school and growing up, and it’s definitely made my experience. She’s a really fun doubles partner too because she’s really aggressive and energetic, and I love playing with her. We also know what to say to each other, to help each other.
What is your biggest takeaway from being on the tennis team?
I guess it kind of goes along with what I’ll miss most, teammates and families and coaches. But in a broader sense, I’ve learned how well a coach can balance being a competitive team with also caring about her athletes and their personal and academic lives, which has been really cool for me going forward. It’s cool to see how Coach Nikki is supportive each of us players.
If you could do anything differently in your tennis experience at Hillsdale, what would that be?
Win a few more matches, probably. I do feel that I’ve played hard in every match even if things didn’t go my way, so I don’t have a lot of regrets as far as my effort goes. I think I could have been more confident, because I like to be a more safe, consistent player. I was happy to join the team when I was a freshman, that’s when the program started, so I’m glad I didn’t start any later. If I could have helped the team make it to the GLIAC tournament this year, that would have been great.
