Senior Olivia Mihalik took a big step in committing to UW-Stout on Oct. 1, 2025, as she plans to continue her academic career while playing tennis at the collegiate level.
Mihalik began her tennis career during her freshman year. She never thought she was going to continue tennis past high school due to her treating it as a secondary activity.
Despite Mihalik only starting tennis her freshman year, she has participated in many camps, clubs, and lessons with different coaches.
“Last year I got pretty good and I decided that I really wanted to play in college,” Mihalik said.
Mihalik’s dedication to progressing her skills was the driving factor behind her commitment.
She began considering collegiate commitments late last spring when UW-Stout coach Anthony Michels reached out to Mihalik. Michels and Mihalik communicated via a mix of text and video chats during the summer. Mihalik was able to travel down to Stout to continue on with the commitment process.
Due to pre-season training, Mihalik will have to move to Stout a few weeks before her classes begin to start training during fall of 2026. Mihalik will be studying molecular and cellular biology. Transitioning to a higher level of athletics and academics can be a challenging endeavor, making it a concern for Mihalik.
Despite the troubles she may incur while balancing her academics and athletics, Mihalik is ready to start this new chapter of her life.
“I’m most excited to actually play the sport in college and meet new people and make new friends on the team,” Mihalik said.
Mihalik is not the only one excited about becoming a Blue Devil.
“We’re thrilled to have Olivia Mihalik join the Blue Devil family. Olivia is a very hard worker who brings great energy and competitiveness to everything she does. Her work ethic and drive will make her a great fit for our program, and we’re excited to see her continue to grow and succeed here at UW-Stout,” Michels said.
Mihalik works hard to improve her skill at the Duluth Indoor Sports Center where she plays during the offseason. Tennis fans can go support Mihalik while her college athletic career starts at UW-Stout next fall.
