Rock Island Today

Caitlyn Schaffer has gathered wins and honors at a rapid rate in her two seasons with the Augustana women's tennis team.

This season alone, the sophomore from Chicago has twice earned the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Player of the Week honor and notched her 100th career victory, which put her in the top 20 in program history. 

She also now has the program record for the fastest to reach 100 wins.

All of that is on top of her freshman season at Augustana, when she set a program record for wins in singles and doubles in a season — earning 31 and 30, respectively — and grabbed her first two league Player of the Week awards in addition to being named All-CCIW.

“The 100th win meant a lot to me,” Schaffer told the Rock Island Today in an email. “It shows my dedication on the court and my willingness to compete at a high level. It shows me that my hard work doesn’t go without being noticed, and it also makes me want to continue an even greater drive on the tennis court.”

Schaffer's tennis journey began when she asked her father a question when she was 8 years old. She said that while passing by a golf course, she asked whether he liked golf or tennis better. After he said tennis, she asked if she could play it, and he helped get her some instruction.

“I’ve loved the sport ever since,” she said.

From there, Schaffer went on to excel in tennis at Kenwood Academy, qualifying for the state tennis finals in 2014, her senior year.

Schaffer said she most enjoys the combination of the physical part of tennis and the even-bigger mental part.

“When you combine those two, it makes one great sport,” she said. “Also, since about high school it has been a huge stress reliever to go out on the court after a long day and work hard and focus in something I love to do.”

Schaffer said she did run into challenges transitioning from high school to college.

“My mom warned me that it would be a more mature environment on and off the court, and that I should really focus on having a stronger mental game, which will also help me not just in tennis, but in life,” she said. “With her wise words, it gave me a heads-up on what to expect, and I was surely able to adjust quickly.”

It's also been a challenge to focus on the court while dealing with school and other activities, Schaffer said, but coaching and assistance from other members of the faculty have helped her.

“My strokes, fitness level, mental game have all excelled more than expected, and I can’t wait to see how they will improve in the following two years to come,” she said.