Dunedin tennis ace Libby Scott has accepted a sports
scholarship at Coastal Carolina University and leaves next
month. Photo by Craig Baxter.
All those flights to Auckland to sharpen up her game have
paid off for Dunedin's Libby Scott.
The 18-year-old former St Hilda's Collegiate School pupil
leaves the city next month, bound for the United States. She
has accepted a sporting scholarship at Coastal Carolina
University.
It is dream come true for the hard-working athlete. Scott
took up tennis when she was about 6 years old and for the
last few years has been travelling to Auckland in the
weekends in search of tougher competition.
"I'm really excited," she said.
The four-year scholarship covers the cost of her education,
travel, food and board, and Scott hopes to get some work in
the summer camps coaching tennis, to earn some pocket money.
She is unsure what she will study but is determined to work
as hard in the classroom as she does on the court.
"In the first couple of years you just take general papers
and then you major in something after that. But I think I'll
probably do something like sports science."
Coastal Carolina - nicknamed the Chanticleers - competes in
the Big South Conference and Scott expects the level of
tennis to be very competitive.
"I've heard training is really full-on and you don't get many
rest days. That will be good. I'm looking forward to it."
Scott has won national titles at age group level in both
singles and doubles, but one of her main goals has always
been to get a scholarship to a college in the United States.
She leaves on August 9. She has not packed yet but has
started thinking about the summer clothes she will need.
Scott is following in the footsteps of former Otago No 1 and
St Hilda's head girl Dianne Hollands, who had a stellar
career at the University of Arizona and went on to play
professionally.
"I've been talking to her and emailing her and she has been a
big help."
Scott finished school at the end of last year and has been
working at George Street Normal School as a teaching
assistant, helping out with the after-school and holiday
programmes. She has also been doing some administration work
at the University of Otago while waiting to take up her
scholarship.
Her parents, Jan and Neville, have been her greatest
supporters and have mixed emotions about their daughter's
plans for the next four years.
"They're happy for me and know it is what I have to do, but
they'll miss me. They have been such a big help for me and
always really supportive."
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