Most rookies look up to their coaching staff and captains for guidance as they transition to college athletics. However, an 18-year-old from North Carolina was an exception to this rule. Right after joining Villanova women’s tennis, Olivia Corcoran was given the task of developing her new team.
Corcoran is a sophomore on the Villanova women’s tennis team, hailing from Cary, NC. Her father, Andrew, played tennis at the College of Charleston, and her mother, Julie, played at Bowling Green. Her younger brother, Ryan is a current five-star recruit as a sophomore in high school. Corocaran continued her family’s tennis tradition after Villanova head coach Steve Reiniger recruited her at a Florida tournament nearly three years ago.
Despite her family’s history with the sport, the individual state champion was late to the competitive game, not attending travel tournaments until she was 14 years old.
Once she began playing at Green Hope High School in NC, she eventually earned All-American honors as a junior and served as captain her senior year. Her success landed her recognition from multiple schools, including the tennis programs at Cornell and Virginia Tech.
Villanova discovered the North Carolina native the summer going into her senior year. After visiting Villanova’s campus, Corcoran knew it would be the school she would call home.
“I went on an official visit before committing, and that’s what kind of sealed the deal for me,” Corcoran said. “Hanging out with a team and seeing their team chemistry and really wanting to be a part of that.”
Going into collegiate play, coach Reiniger viewed Corcoran as a fourth, fifth or sixth spot player on the roster. She progressed quickly on the court, demonstrating her tennis IQ and clear coachability.
During her rookie season, Villanova beat No. 1 UConn in the semi-finals of the Big East Tournament. The ‘Cats ultimately lost in the finals to St. John’s University. However, Corcoran learned the value of teamwork and commitment after spending the majority of her career playing by herself.
“I used to tell her not to conform to the team, but have the team conform to her,” Coach Reiniger said. “She had such a good way about her on the court.”
By this year, Corcoran’s sophomore season, Reiniger had put her in the No. 2 spot in every tournament.
“[Coach Reiniger] is all for me playing free and aggressive, and he pushes me to experiment with new things,” Corcoran said. “He pushes me to experiment with new parts of my game, and just do what feels best for me.”
She regularly has no match-days off, playing the top player at each school. In individual matchups this season, Corcoran defeated Colgate, Rider, Georgetown, Haverford and Providence.
All coaches talk about the need for the Villanova attitude of striving to be a better player and person. Her successes are a reflection of Corcoran’s tenacity and mental toughness for the game. Through the pressures of Big East play, Corcoran remains focused on the court, even when facing some of the best players in the country.
“I think leading by example is the most important thing you can do,” Reiniger said. “I think she’s been doing that since her freshman and sophomore year. I think that the team’s gonna gravitate more to her as she’s like you know, playing the number one spot.”
The NC native will briefly talk about her success if asked, but Corcoran will quickly pivot to the role of her coaches and teammates in her development.
When asked who was her best friend on the team, Corcoran couldn’t name just one. With just nine teammates, Corcoran views each member of her small team as a sister. However, senior Maddie Gherig also grew up in North Carolina and faced Corcoran in high school. Now as teammates, the duo has developed a lasting connection outside of their sport.
This past weekend, Corcoran led her team to the second round of the tournament after sweeping Providence, 4-0, last Thursday, April 16. Villanova fell to No.3 seeded St. John’s for the second year in a row, 1-4, on Friday.
As her second season concludes, Corcoran will step into an upper-classmen position as a junior next season, and is set to continue leading the next team of Wildcats on the court.
