Tennis players know that net play takes nerve, speed, confidence and commitment.

“I love to play the net,” says Amanda Studnicki—in life, it seems, as well as on the court. Co-captain of the UD women’s tennis team, Studnicki maintains a 3.98 average in a challenging major, biomedical engineering.

At age 16, Studnicki boldly charged the net of life: Raised by a single mom, she mustered her courage and left home, moving from Illinois to Florida to enroll full-time in the tennis academies. She caught the eye of UD Coach Laura Travis, who offered a scholarship to play for the Blue Hens.  A recent undergraduate research opportunity landed her in the Human Robotics Laboratory where she worked alongside graduate students analyzing biomechanical principles.

These lab projects are particularly appealing. “They tackle real-world problems, but they also teach teamwork, collaboration, problem-solving, even conflict resolution,” Studnicki explains.

Tennis standout, stellar scholar, UD athletic scholarship. The set adds up to a perfect match.