Teresa Gonzaga is a girl of many talents. Playing for the Wisconsin women’s tennis team, she has made vast improvements in her game every year of college — going from a 7-14 mark her freshman year in doubles to a 13-11 mark her sophomore year, and posting a remarkable 18-4 mark last year. But her accomplishments on the court are dwarfed by her impressive feats off of it.

The 5-foot-9 native of Eau Claire is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten and a 2002 Athletic Board Scholar and has been on the Dean’s List. Her hard work is paying dividends as she prepares to say goodbye to the University of Wisconsin and hello to Loyola of Chicago’s medical school.

“My life after college will not be on the professional tour,” she said of her next step in life. “I think I can help people a lot better in the health field.”

This is Gonzaga’s fourth year on the women’s tennis team, and she views things as getting better.

“My favorite times are coming this year. I mean our team really gets along together. We’re all friends, we hang out, we laugh together. I mean, it’s unusual to find that in a tennis team these days.”

Gonzaga believes new Badger assistant coach Erin Boisclair has added a positive energy to the team.

“She is helping each of us step up our game,” she said.

Gonzaga sees her team’s recent success as something not only to strive for but as something that is in reach.

“We’re a team that really gets along,” she said of the current women’s tennis squad. “[We’re] a team that is really optimistic about this year.”

Gonzaga has spent the last four years working hard both on and off the court. She has gathered rewards and much-deserved accolades. When asked about her most memorable trips with the team, her responses focused on the team’s annual spring-break trips.

During her freshman and sophomore years, the Badgers made a trip to Malibu for a spring break tournament. Last year, the team went to Miami for its trip. While most of the UW student body partied it up, the tennis team played their hearts out.

“We’re in Miami, but tennis courts are tennis courts,” she said.

The team does get a day of relaxation, which has produced some of Gonzaga’s favorite memories of her collegiate tennis days.

The opportunity to travel has been a bright spot in the grueling season of juggling time with the books and time with the team.

“Playing college tennis, I’ve had the opportunity to travel a lot of places,” Gonzaga said. “We pick up and go every weekend. Some of the Big Ten opponents have beautiful facilities.”

“Northwestern has a beautiful indoor facility that’s great to play in,” Gonzaga said when asked where her favorite schools to play have been. “Illinois has a nice facility too.”

Perhaps it’s not a coincidence that Illinois and Northwestern have been No. 1 and No.2 in the Big Ten the last two years.

“You get fired up to play them,” said Gonzaga.

Gonzaga said she will continue to play tennis for fun, but her competitive career will likely end with this year’s season.

When asked about playing during medical school at Loyola, she said, “Probably not. Loyola has an amazing workout facility but no tennis courts.”

Although Gonzaga’s competitive tennis days are coming to an end, she has no regrets. “These last four years have been a lot of hard work, and they have been filled with a lot of good times,” she said. “I love Badger tennis and I love this university, but it’s time to move on.”

Gonzaga will take her competitiveness to medical school, where the skills she learned on and off the tennis court at UW will serve her well. She and the rest of the Badger women’s tennis team will face off against DePaul this Friday at Nielsen Tennis Stadium.