Bianca Pugliese '17 Recruiting Profile

Self-motivation plays a huge role in my life. I am not told what to do. My parents let me make my own choices. When I was younger, my parents didn't want to push me into one particular sport, they let me decide what I wanted to do. I was eight when I decided that I wanted to try tennis. My first coach, Dan McCormick, is the reason why I stuck with it. He not only taught me the basics, but helped me love the game. After I learned the basics, I started telling my parents sign me up for a bunch of programs including the Messerli Elite Training Program and some other local ones. I made sure these programs were of all ages so I could get a variety of players to hit against. On the court, I try to be the best sport I can be. I don't show much emotion on the outside because I think it's better to show no emotion than to have a bad attitude. However, inside me is passion. I love the game in all aspects, from the the mental aspect of patience and strategy to the physical aspect of running down every ball no matter what.

In school, I like to stay involved to get the most out of my high school experience. I am in numerous activities: Spanish Club, ACEing Autism, Youth & Government, and Film Club. With persistence, my friends and I started a film club at my school to give students a place to collaborate and do projects together. I love the ACEing Autism program at my school because I get to teach tennis to autistic children. It allows me to spread my love of the game, and it is so exciting to see them loving it as well. I led my high school tennis team to win our first CIF title in school history. From this, I have received MVP both my freshman and sophomore years. By the time I graduate, I will have taken at least eight AP courses, including Advanced Placement Spanish and Advanced Placement Biology. Senior year I plan to take a biological engineering class that is offered at my high school. I also plan on volunteering at the Torrance Memorial Hospital this summer. I am a very caring person and hope I can use that trait to help others. 

I am currently working diligently to refine my game to be the best it can be as well as bring my ranking up. Right now I am ranked in the top 400 on Tennis Recruiting, but I would like to be in the top 50 by the time I graduate. My goal is to double major in biology and engineering, and play tennis. I believe that with all the hard work and focus I have put into both school and tennis, I can achieve this.