University of Georgia Athletics
Hannah King Claiming Her Noble Status
February 26, 2015 | Women's Tennis
By Michelle Hartigan
When the Georgia Bulldogs signed the state's top-ranked tennis player Hannah King back in November 2013, head coach Jeff Wallace was excited to see the dynamic attributes she would bring to the Georgia program.
Born in Athens to parents who were UGA alums, King knew from an early age that Georgia would be the perfect fit for her. Now an official member of the team, the 5-star recruit from Dunwoody, Ga., has done more than simply join the Bulldog family for the 2014-2015 season--she has proven herself within the highly competitive realm of NCAA women's tennis.
Coming to Georgia in the fall, the rookie was nervous for what the future held. King was recovering from a shoulder injury that had required four surgeries to repair and knew it would take a lot of hard work to be able to compete at a high-level again.
"I started off playing not where I wanted to play, but as the season has progressed and I am getting some matches under my belt, it has put a lot of confidence in me," said King. "I am confident in my health and I am playing a lot better."
Now, King can look back and say that every ounce of her fight and determination to overcome the injury was worth it.
"It feels great," said King. "I have been through a lot to get here. Going through an injury is never easy for an athlete, but I think for me it was deciding what was really worth it and what sacrifices I was willing to make to be able to get back out on the court."
During the fall season King played to a 7-2 singles record and 10-1 doubles record.
King's normal position in the lineup for the Bulldogs this spring has been on court 3 in doubles and court 5 in singles. So far, she has compiled an impressive 7-1 record in doubles with partner Caroline Brinson, and a 3-1 record in singles. All three solo victories have come against nationally ranked opponents.
King's results continue to demonstrate her impressive ability to perform at the high level of collegiate tennis in which Georgia competes. Already this season, she has earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors and a place in the ITA All-Tournament Team following Georgia's impressive run to the final at the National Team Indoor Championships.
"It's definitely exciting. I had no expectations coming into the season. I was just going to compete my hardest and fight for my team," said King. "I have had some great results, but I can't take all of the credit because I wouldn't be able to be where I am today without help from my coaches and my teammates playing next to me."
Playing on court 5 for Georgia at the ITA National Team Indoor Championships, King came through in the clutch by clinching back-to-back matches vs. No. 1 UCLA and No. 5 California as the Bulldogs advanced all the way to a national title showdown with University of North Carolina.
"It was a confidence booster for sure," King said. "We were all out there fighting our hardest for the girl next to us and I think we grew so much closer as a team on and off the court."
King now claims the No. 66 spot in the ITA national rankings after working her way up 25 spots from her preseason ranking of No. 91. She and Brinson are also the nation's No. 55-ranked doubles team. According to King, rankings only push her to work harder and play better.
"I would like to keep it up and maybe make All-American or get into the NCAA tournament (as an individual), and if I keep doing what I'm doing hopefully my ranking will continue to rise and I will have a shot at it."
After a big win against in-state rival No. 23 Georgia Tech this past weekend, King and her teammates are ready and excited for the home SEC openers this Friday at 3 p.m. versus No. 45 LSU and Sunday at 1 p.m. against Texas A&M.
"The SEC is the conference we're in, the conference we want to win and this is the beginning of it. It's like a whole new season for us," said Wallace. "We know we have to bring it and play high-level tennis every time we go up against a conference team. We've played a good schedule so far that has prepared us for what we are about to do and it's nice to be home to open the conference season."
Apart from the challenging early matches and the opportunity to play in Athens for the first few SEC contests, the good news for Wallace and the rest of the team is that freshmen like King appear ready to help carry the Bulldogs through one of the more difficult conference schedules in the nation. If the early performances are a sign of things to come, King could be crowned an SEC champion alongside her teammates come April.
Michelle Hartigan is a senior from Johns Creek, Ga., who is majoring in advertising within UGA's Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communications. She is in her third year as a student assistant with the UGA Sports Communications office.
"Coming Attractions" is a weekly feature published on georgiadogs.com spotlighting a UGA student-athlete who will be competing in a key home event during the upcoming weekend. Previous stories include:
August 28 - David Andrews (football vs. Clemson)
September 4 - Carly Hamilton (cross country in Bulldog Invitational)
September 11 - Tirah Leau (volleyball in Benson Hospitality Invitational)
September 18 - Mariel Gutierrez (soccer vs. Vanderbilt)
September 25 - Toby Johnson (football vs. Tennessee)
October 2 - Emma Sonnett (soccer vs. Tennessee)
October 9 - Jared Markham (swimming & diving vs. Alabama)
October 16 - Gaby Smiley (volleyball vs. Kentucky and Tennessee)
October 23 - Bella Hartley (soccer vs. Kentucky)
October 30 - Olivia Ball & Ian Forlini (swimming & diving vs. Florida)
November 6 - Megan Spencer (volleyball vs. Arkansas)
November 13 - Kolton Houston (football vs. Auburn)
November 20 - Yante Maten (men's basketball vs. Troy & FAU)
November 27 - Damian Swann (football vs. Georgia Tech)
December 4 - Marjorie Butler (women's basketball vs. Michigan State)
December 18 - Tiaria Griffin (women's basketball vs. Furman)
December 25 - International Bulldogs (men's basketball vs. Mercer)
January 7 - Maddie Locus (women's swimming & diving vs. Texas)
January 14 - Shacobia Barbee (women's basketball vs. Vanderbilt)
January 21 - Caroline Brinson (women's tennis in ITA Kickoff Weekend)
January 28 - Nathan Pasha (men's tennis vs. UCLA and Southern Cal)
February 4 - Sara Parr (equestrian vs. South Carolina)
February 11 - Cortni Emanuel (softball in Bulldog Invitational)
February 18 - Chelsea Davis (gymnastics vs. Alabama)
