Allyce Gaborik serves up the energy on the court

Allyce Gaborik needed one clean strike for the game point. 

In a tightly contested rivalry tennis match, this wouldn’t come easy. 

The Lehigh junior was competing for the clincher in an intense rally against Lafayette’s first-year Hanna Ganchi.

Watching return after return, the excited murmurs from the crowd heightened with each hit. 

A backhand. A drop shot. Gaborik sprinted full speed toward the net, racket cocked back.  And then: a forehand smash. The ball hit the court to Ganchi’s left and flew into the backdrop. Ganchi had no chance at a return.

Game.

“Come on!” Gaborik yelled as she pumped her fists in the air.

Chanting the team’s signature “Brown and White” cheer, she headed to the scoreboard to move the game pin up one notch and readied herself for the next game of the set.

This fiery passion is standard for Gaborik. Described as the ‘tone setter’ by teammates, she brings high energy to each meet.

The now senior has been a standout on the No. 1 doubles and No. 3 singles court for the Lehigh’s women’s tennis team and is a well-respected, passionate leader off the court.

“When you see her playing, you know it’s all heart,” former teammate Megha Dania, ’24G, said. “She definitely brings the energy and competitiveness to the team, and that’s exactly what we need and what’s helped our success this year.”

 In the suburbs of Chicago, Gaborik played several sports including gymnastics, volleyball and tennis throughout her adolescence.

Despite focusing on volleyball and tennis during middle school, she said she eventually chose the latter because it challenged her to perform on a personal level while also contributing to a team.

“I really like that you get to play singles and doubles, so you have a team aspect, but you’re also individual,” Gaborik said.

Focusing solely on tennis in highschool, she said she strived to emulate the fiery style of professional women’s tennis player, Serena Williams.

In her 27 years of dominance on the court, Williams struck fear into her opponents with an aggressive style of play that led her to 23 grand slam titles.

Gaborik said she wants to mirror these traits in her game. 

“She has a huge serve, she’s feisty (and) she’s really competitive,” Gaborik said.

After one season on the high school varsity team, Gaborik opted to play at the club level instead. Her dominance on the court earned her multiple Division I offers from schools nationwide. 

Gaborik’s recruitment took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, which she said made the process difficult as she couldn’t visit some schools in person.

However, video calls with Lehigh’s tennis program and the allure of good finance courses finalized her decision to commit to the university. 

“I knew it was a good fit for me academically and tennis-wise because I really wanted a balance,” Gaborik said.

At Lehigh, she was a key part of a doubles tandem with sophmore Maggie Forkner for the 2024 spring season. They posted a 9-8 regular season record as partners.

In addition to their skillful and aggressive styles of play, Gaborik said the duo’s communication complement each other. 

She said Forkner’s strong forehand shots set up easy returns that her smash hits turn into points.

Their success on the doubles court, an area the team struggled with last season, has helped contribute to a 13-7 regular season record, tying the previous program record for the most wins in any season.

Former coach Olivia Leavitt, who has since left Lehigh to coach at Middlebury, said Gaborik’s constant energy allows her to lead a tight-knit team culture and build success on the court. 

She said Gaborik has a strong work ethic and brings 100% of her effort to every practice and match.

“Something that the girls look up to is the intensity and effort and competitiveness that she always brings,” Leavitt said.

With a roster including four first-years and a sophomore in the spring, Leavitt looked to Gaborik and other program veterans to acclimate the newcomers to the team’s culture.

Gaborik said she enjoys bonding and developing genuine relationships with the new players. 

She said she often goes out to lunch with them and tries to get to know them on a personal level.

“We’ve had some close battles and bad losses, and just being there for each other has really helped us get through it,” Gaborik said. 

She said she didn’t feel the warmth of veteran leadership early on in her Lehigh career, and her first season was a tumultuous one, both for her and the program.

Due to injuries, opt-outs and other factors, the team was left with four players, the minimum roster size being six. The program was at risk of not existing for the spring 2021 season.

Meanwhile, Gaborik didn’t get the opportunity to play. As a first-year, she fell severely ill and had to return home to recover.

During the hardship, she credited support from the Dania twins — Megha and Anushka — to help her push through.

“When I was sick, they actually flew out to Chicago to visit me,” Gaborik said. “They’ve been with me through the entire process, and I’m really so grateful for them, and I’m really going to miss them next year.”

With that support and a battle-tested mindset, she recovered and returned. She made her Lehigh debut against Monmouth in 2022, recording a doubles victory alongside Junmoke James, ’24G.

Gaborik said the twins have been her role models throughout her time with the team and are the type of leaders she strives to be.

As she looks to take on a senior leadership role for this coming  season, she said it will be without her best friends on the team.

Gaborik and fellow teammate Hamsa Javagal will be the only two seniors in the program. The two veterans will be thrust into a mentorship role as the team has brought on three recruits, continuing the trend of a youthful roster.

Dania said Gaborik is going to be a successful leader this year. 

“When you think of a great leader, it’s someone you can go to for everything, someone you look up to, and I think Allyce is already doing such a great job with that,” Dania said.