By Keighla Schmidt
UWRF Sports Information

All people have cravings. Some people are hungry for fruit, some people are hungry for a sandwich, some people are hungry for pizza, some for Cheetos and ice cream.

But none of these things are what senior tennis player Megan Knobloch is hungry for.

"I have a hunger to win," she said. "I'm willing to do whatever it takes."

Knobloch worked up that craving during the off season by maintaining a 40 hour work week, training before work, coaching high school athletes after work, then going home to train before going to bed. She said she didn't have much of a life other than tennis or work.

"But I really wouldn't have it any other way," she said.

Dedication is only one of her assets that has helped her work her way into the No. 1 singles spot for the Falcons, a post she's had for two years. Playing the No. 1 spot in tennis is announcing that person is the best player on the team, and will face the opposing team's best player.

"You never have an easy match," Falcon Coach Lee Lueck said. "It must get tiring."

When it comes to facing the best player the other team can give you, Knobloch says she has to play her best every match or opponents would walk all over her.

"It made me a better player," she said. "I had to prove that I am capable of playing in that spot."

She had to prove that because four years ago she described herself as a walk on.

"I just wanted to play some tennis," Knobloch said.

  Knobloch was not heavily recruited, but when she showed up at River Falls, the coaching staff was impressed. She took the team's No. 5 singles spot. The No. 3 and 4 spots were taken by seniors and No. 1 and 2 were held by juniors.

  She worked hard and "was happy to have that spot," she said.

Her sophomore year Knobloch moved up in the ranks a little bit and took the No. 3 singles position. Her season ended with a 10-8 record.

After that season was over Knobloch was featured in Tennis magazine as a collegiate player to watch. Featured in that magazine are tennis players from all divisions, and she was highlighted along with teammate Leah Baron. Knobloch saw it as another honor.

The magazine was recognizing what the team already knew. In 2002, 2003, and 2004 she was named the team's Player of the Week twice each season. So far this year, she has been named Player of the Week once and the WIAC Player of the Week as well.

Each week that she was honored she won tough matches and showed improvement. When she was named the WIAC Player of the Week she defeated two opponents in straight sets. These were the same opponents who a year ago challenged Knobloch. She lost to the opponent from St. Scholastica last year in strait sets. Against the St. Mary's opponent Knobloch won last season, but it took her three sets to do it.

Having all three achievements in one week is what Knobloch describes as one of the highlights of her season.

Knobloch says that being a player of the week shows that you're a dedicated player and won't give up in any match.

Lueck agrees. Being a No. 1 player means that you know how stiff the competition is going to be and, "no matter what you can't relax, you always have to be up to the task," he said.

Knobloch demonstrated that ability to get her mind into the game and defeat her opponent. "It's harder to close a set than to come from behind," she said.

To win, a tennis player must be able to have the strategy to get into the position to win. Sometimes that can be an easy task, other times it is much more difficult.

In playing at the No. 6 spot, it might take only one or two volleys to win the point. At No. 1 it's usually at least 10.

Aside from training her body all summer, Lueck said she had to work on developing what he described as her "B" game. She needed to have an alternative plan and execution ability to win. She had to know that the ball was going to come back and mentally and physically position herself to win the point. Smashing the ball as hard as possible may not beat each opponent.

That preparation has elevated Knobloch's playing level. As of Oct. 4, her record is 7-1 for the season. That's a huge improvement from her previous years of finishing close to .500.  

Results and scores aren't the only changes this season. Knobloch is a co-captain. She helps lead a very young team; over half of the members are freshmen.

"Without good leaders you don't have a team," Knobloch said. "You need someone to push, to encourage."

During practices and matches, teammates give each other constructive criticism. They tell each other things to do differently to help each improve. Off the court they advise each other.

During the pre-season members of the Falcons could be seen at the Mall of America together, biking and hanging out. Before home matches a recording of Knobloch leading the team singing the national anthem is played. The girls bond and spend quality time together.

"It's about making friendships that will last a lifetime," Lueck said of the team.

It's a philosophy that Lueck has for his teams, and it seems to have worked. This summer members of the team and coaching staff attended a former teammate's wedding.

"It's like we're a big family," Knobloch said. Some of her best friends are also teammates.

As co-captain she also serves as a mediator between the team and the coach.

That duty may not be very hard since both Lueck and Knobloch said that there are no conflicts on the team, everyone seems to get along.

If there were conflicts, Knobloch would be a good person to help mediate. She is the tennis delegate to the campus Student Athlete Advisory Committee. The committee works together to plan activities to help the community. Knobloch brings ideas the tennis team has to the meeting to help out the community.

Knobloch is an elementary education major and hopes to coach tennis as well. She is learning skills through tennis that she can apply in her future career. She said she's learning to focus, concentrate, and deal with hard situations.

"It's taught me how well you can rise after you fall," she said.

Another thing that will help Knobloch teach is her ability to manage time. Without time management, she says, a student athlete will have a very hard time. She also said it teaches her not to procrastinate, and use free time for things that are most important.

She must be right because she has been on the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll for three seasons.

Knobloch has been able to be a student athlete through more than just time management.

When she finishes a match, she does something that many athletes have a hard time doing. She leaves it all out on the court. Knobloch can devout all of her time and energy to one thing, and then move on to the next. To her it doesn't matter if she wins or loses, she'll take the lesson learned and apply it later, but she won't dwell on the outcome.

That characteristic sticks out to Lueck. Because she leaves everything out there, she can focus on the task at hand, so no match seems more distinguishable than another.