Sometimes fate brings athletes to their schools … such is the case with OCC sophomore tennis standout Nikki Thornburg.
After a stellar career at Cypress High School, Thornburg headed to nearby Cypress College for one season, but following the departure of head coach Michelle Esquivel to OCC, she decided to follow her coach to the Pirates, where she has continued her strong play.
“Michelle is just a great coach and we work well together,” Thornburg said. “I know OCC is a good school and it’s been great being a part of this program this year. I’m glad I made the move.”
Tennis became a part of Thornburg’s life in seventh grade. “My best friend played and I started going to the courts and playing tennis with her,” Thornburg said. “After that, I took some lessons and I became addicted to the sport.”
From there, Thornburg became a four-year varsity standout for CHS, helping the Centurions qualify for the CIF playoffs all four years. “We started low, but my junior year, we actually moved up to Division II and my senior year, we actually qualified for Division I in CIF,” Thornburg said.
After winning a league title in doubles during her prep career, Thornburg headed to Cypress College, where she won regionals in doubles and qualified for a national tournament in Alabama two years ago.
This year, her strong play has continued as a Pirate. Having only lost 3-4 times in singles play, Thornburg and doubles teammate Haley Dickson have lost just twice the entire season, guiding the Pirates to a 12-2 record, 8-2 in conference.
“I really prefer doubles to singles play because I’m a net player and it’s something I like to take advantage of when I’m on the court,” Thornburg said. “Haley and I work hard in practice with strategies and signs and being able to set your partner up for the best shot possible on any given play.”
Carrying a 3.5 GPA, Thornburg will be attending McPherson University after her Coast career is over this season. “They offered me a scholarship for tennis and combined with my academic situation, it seemed like a great opportunity,” Thornburg said. “It’s a small, private school, which will allow me to get a more personalized education. Plus, they have my major (kinesiology) which will help me advance faster to my career.”
After her schooling is over, you will most likely find Thornburg on the tennis courts, following in the footsteps of Esquivel and guiding future tennis prodigies. “Michelle has really made the game fun for me,” Thornburg said. “After playing it for so long, I got tired of it for a while, but I’m back loving the sport again. She’s done a great job of teaching patience and the mental side of the sport. It’s something I hope I can teach when I become a coach someday.”