Erin Liao first picked up a tennis racket in second grade, when she joined group lessons alongside her older sister. “But she (Liao’s sister) wasn’t very interested in it, so she stopped doing it,” Liao said. Despite her sister’s waning interest, Liao continued on, and in her freshman year impressively made varsity, playing as fourth singles. Now, as a Berkeley High School senior and one of the team’s three captains, she holds the first singles position, which is reserved for the team’s top-ranked player.
As a left handed player, Erin uses her strong cross-court forehand to target her opponents’ weaker backhand, yet her game relies on more than just power. Over the years, she was mentored by her former high school coach, who helped build her mental resilience. “Our coach used to be Tiffany ... she would give me a lot of mentor advice and tell me not to worry,” Liao said, “She was really like the heart of our team when she was our coach.” Beyond the court, Liao upholds her captain role by organizing practices, fundraisers, and team bonding. While balancing tennis with schoolwork and love for being a musician, she hopes to continue playing club tennis after graduation.