University of Georgia Athletics
A Quick Chat With ... Lauren Herring
April 03, 2015 | Women's Tennis
By John Frierson
UGAAA Staff Writer
ATHENS, Ga. -- Lauren Herring is heading down the home stretch of an outstanding Georgia women's tennis career. Currently ranked No. 8 in the country in singles, the senior All-American will play her final regular-season home matches this weekend when the fifth-ranked Bulldogs host Ole Miss on Friday and Mississippi State on Sunday.
Georgia will likely host an NCAA regional next month so this isn't a true farewell to the Dan Magill Tennis Complex, but the number of competitive games, sets and matches still available to Herring on her home turf are dwindling.
On Thursday, Herring sat down for a quick chat about the end of her time at Georgia, playing doubles in the U.S. Open and much more:
Frierson: Now that you're headed toward the finish line of your Georgia career, are you getting nostalgic or sentimental about things?
Frierson: Tennis has taken you pretty much all over the world, but what's one place you haven't yet had a chance to visit that's a must-see on your list?
Herring: I would love to go to Italy, just for the scenery. Other than that, I would love to go to Japan, where (former teammate and doubles partner Maho Kowase) is from, and Australia, where (teammate Ellen Perez) is from.
I've actually been to Spain and stayed with (teammate Silvia Garcia), so I've crossed that off my list. I think that's one of the cool things about having foreign teammates is that you get to take advantage of that. ... That was one of the most fun things I did last summer was go and stay with Silv in Spain. We didn't touch a tennis racquet; she just took me around her city (Madrid) and showed me her culture, and that was really cool.
Frierson: Are you an athlete that likes to listen to music and psych yourself up before you compete or do you go the other way and try to stay as calm and low key as possible?
Herring: I know a couple of girls on our team that love to just put their headphones on and get in a zone. But for me, I actually try to kind of play down the match a little bit. That way I don't have that many nerves going in. I just like to keep it calm.
Frierson: You started playing at age 7 and went on to have an excellent junior tennis career. Was there a match or a moment that stands out, when you realized this is something you might be able to do at a really high level?
Herring: I don't think any one match or season stood out to me the most. I had a lot of success early in my career -- maybe in the 12s and 14s -- and when you're winning consistently like that, it kind of becomes a habit. I definitely struggled toward the later stages in my high school career. When you get older, people are just better and it's hard to win at that same rate that you were in the 12s and 14s.
I would just say that when I was younger I knew that I was good, and then running into that bump in the road was actually good for me in the long run. To be able to come out of it in college was good.
Frierson: You were able to play in the main draw of the 2010 U.S. Open women's doubles tournament right at the start of your collegiate career at Georgia. What was that experience like and did it impact your tennis going forward?
Herring: I actually think so. To be able to go out there (with partner Grace Min) -- and we didn't get blown off the court, we had some chances, but we were very nervous, being 17 or 18 -- so to be able to go out there with the best in the world and prove that, yes, I'm not at their level yet, but also I'm not that far off, either.
One of the neat things about being in college is that it's the first time you're around other athletes that don't play your sport. So when they hear that you're playing the U.S. Open, they think that's amazing -- probably more amazing than you think. So it actually gives you confidence, in a weird, roundabout way, when you hear that other people think what you do is awesome.
Frierson: What's next after the NCAAs?
Herring: I think actually five days after the NCAAs I'll be playing another tournament. I'm going to attempt to play the tour for at least a year or two and see how it goes and give it my best.
Frierson: My parents came to Athens in the '60s for college and have lived here ever since. Has this school and this city had a similar kind of effect on you?
Herring: I think Athens will always be like home. Like I said earlier, I've been kind of reflecting on it this week with Senior Day coming up. I think the biggest thing for me is seeing how Athens has changed me, from freshman year now to a senior. I feel like I'm a completely different person and I've just grown up a lot. Not to say that I don't still have my immature moments.
I really do feel like I've come a long way as a person, as a player, as a teammate, and I think it's because of the University and more so the people that are here. I really owe a lot to coaches, trainers, academic advisors -- there are a lot of people here who put so much time and effort into you, solely you, and it's going to be really hard to leave. I don't know that I ever truly will. I'm sure I'll be back and forth with football games and I'll come watch the girls next year, for sure.
John Frierson is a staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Hall of Fame at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex. Follow him on Twitter: @TheFrierson and @ITAHallofFame.
Players Mentioned
