For most incoming freshman athletes, there is an adjustment period that takes place to acquaint themselves to the speed and talent seen at the collegiate level. One look at Leah Dancz’s tennis record would prove otherwise.

Dancz is undefeated on the tennis courts in her young career at Grand Valley State and her skills are already being recognized by others. Dancz is ranked No. 19 in the International Tennis Association Midwest Singles rankings. But for Dancz, being undefeated, ranked and playing third in the lineup was not something she even thought of.

“I didn’t expect to be playing three,” she said. “I figured I’d be playing at the end of lineup, and I was not even sure I’d be in doubles. It’s just awesome, I am really happy and I owe a lot of success to my teammates and everybody motivating me.”

Dancz picked up the game of tennis from her Mom, began playing tennis at the age of three and started playing in competitive tournaments when she was 11. Now, she credits her success to her training and practicing with the other girls on the team.

“I played a lot over the summer,” she said. “I worked a lot on my training and fitness during fall semester. The biggest thing is playing with other all the girls on the team. They’re so good and it’s nice to hit with the other players on a day to day basis.”

For Dancz, success has followed her wherever she went. She earned All-State honors for four years at Hudsonville High School, including two quarterfinal finishes at the Michigan State Finals. When it came time to choose her college, GVSU was the perfect fit.

“I decided to go to GVSU late in my junior year,” she said. “I decided to attend GVSU because they have an amazing Division II athletics reputation, and I loved the girls on the team, and knew the coach my whole life.”

Head coach John Black saw the potential in Dancz when he was recruiting her, and knew she would fit in perfectly at GVSU.

“She has a very tennis-strong tennis game,” he said. “When talking with her parents, it seemed like GVSU was a great fit for her.”

Black has enjoyed coaching Dancz so far this season, and his recruitment of Dancz has paid off for the Lakers.

“It’s great to coach Leah,” he said. “She works very hard and is a very talented tennis player. She gets along great with all the other players on the team. It’s a pleasure working with her.”

Dancz has not only earned the respect of her coach, but her teammates as well.

“She’s a great teammate and she is always fun to be around,” said senior Alyssa Lucas. “She is always in a good mood, and works hard at practice. She is always giving 100 percent during her matches.”

Black knows that Dancz will be one of many key factors for Lakers success as they continue their season.

“Hopefully she will keep on improving,” he said. “We have some tough matches coming up, and we will need everyone on the team to contribute and be a part of it. We hope she will continue to play great tennis and be a great member of the team.”

bderouin@lanthorn.com