Dirks considers the atmosphere from the “bubble” as one of her strongest memories from Gustavus.

Q: What are your expectations for the season?

A: Even though I am suppose to “expect” nothing in tennis, I secretly have very high expectations for our team this year. We got a great freshman class which really helps and only lost one senior last year. The girls and I have all had a great fall season and have had some big wins. Our team goals are to win the conference again and also advance to nationals.

Q: What is your best athletic memory?

A: My favorite athletic memory I have had at Gustavus would be our last match to make it to regionals last year. We went down 0-3 after doubles which is very rare for our team to do. The team we were playing thought they had it in the bag but we pushed them to every last match. It got too dark to play outside so we moved to the bubble and the atmosphere in there was something I had never experienced before. The men’s team and our fans were so loud and it filled the bubble. If you looked to the court next to you, you could tell your teammate was giving everything they had to win for the team. We ended up losing to a team we beat earlier in the year but we all fought so hard and I learned so many things as an athlete and as a person from that moment.

Q: Why would you recommend Gustavus?

A: I would recommend Gustavus because it give student athletes everything they could want. Gustavus pushes you academically, has a history of some very successful athletic programs, and gives you the opportunity to have time to make lasting friendships. I would not trade my time at Gustavus for anything.