When one looks at the women’s tennis program over the past couple of seasons, one of the most important members of that team’s success has been senior Lil Vo. Admired by her coach and teammates, she has been one of the most consistent performers for this team.

Even though Vo comes from Midland, Texas, her high school coach opened her eyes to Colgate and explained how it would be a perfect fit for her.

“I went to a tennis boarding school and my coach told me how great Colgate would be,” Vo said. “I mainly came to Colgate for the tennis and it was probably the best decision I could have made.”

Although Vo did not see much action in her first two seasons at Colgate, she showed during her junior and senior years that she could excel on the tennis court.

During her junior year, Vo played fifth singles and second doubles. She had a great junior year, with a 19-13 singles record and a 12-20 doubles record.

Vo followed up that performance with a solid season this year, registering an 11-11 singles record at fourth singles and a solid 14-11 record in doubles play.

As she was the only senior on this team, Vo stepped up her leadership: head coach Patrick Fisher constantly raved about her work ethic and often described her as a “warrior” on the court.

She showed her true commitment this season when she played in the Patriot League Tournament semifinals with a severe ankle injury. While Vo did not play her best tennis, she refused to sit out her last career tennis match.

Vo unselfishness is reflected in her most memorable moment.

“There is not really a moment I can remember for myself, but one of my favorite moments was this season against Lafayette,” she said. “We needed to win a crucial doubles match to win the doubles point and I was really happy that my teammates pulled it out. It was a really exciting part of the match and winning the doubles helped lead us to victory.”

Vo is not only an excellent tennis player and teammate, but she has excelled both academically and socially at Colgate. Vo is a biology major and hopes to go to medical school after she graduates in May.

She was also involved in the community as a part of the Medicine Group Home and showed her interest in science by participating in an internship program with an optometrist in Hamilton.

Vo has truly enjoyed her time at Colgate and there is no doubt from talking to her as to how much playing tennis helped her.

“Playing on the team was great as it helped me build relationships with my coach and teammates,” she said. “Tennis also really helped me with my time management, as I learned to balance everything I had going on.”

It is impressive that Vo has been able to handle the rigorous requirements of a biology concentration, while continuing to play tennis at a high level. Vo’s main purpose in coming to Colgate was to play tennis, but it is obvious that Colgate has prepared her for the future.

She enjoyed every minute at Colgate and would not change a thing. She exemplifies a true student-athlete and a great teammate, and she will surely be missed by the tennis team and the Colgate community. But there is no doubt that she has left a lasting impression on the tennis program and her teammates.