Kate Novak

Laurel Utterback

/ Women's Tennis

Photo by: Lianne Garrahan

Photo by: Roberto Bellini

Photo by: Marc Hagemeier

Class:
Sophomore
High School:
Mattawan
Hometown:
Mattawan, Mich.

Career: Two-time team captain.

2023-24 (Senior): Team captain … went 5-10 in singles and 4-9 in doubles … played primarily at No. 5 and No. 6 singles as well as No. 3 doubles … earned three consecutive singles wins at Rick McClure Women’s Invitational … turned in a 5-4 tournament singles mark … went 2-1 in doubles at season-opening Bucknell Invitational, playing all three matches with Jaycie Mair … earned a spot on the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll.

2022-23 (Junior): Team captain … went 10-19 in singles play and 4-9 in doubles … played primarily at No. 4 and No. 5 singles as well as No. 2 and No. 3 doubles … won three straight matches to claim the E Singles consolation draw at the West Point Invitational (9/25) … posted Patriot League singles wins over Anna Rico of Loyola (3/3) and Alexandra Waldman of Lafayette (4/23) … earned a win over Mackenzie Jones of Coppin State at the No. 2 singles position (2/19) … posted a 6-3 win on court two over St. Bonaventure playing alongside Anna Lajos … member of the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll.

2021-22 (Sophomore): Went 10-15 at singles and 4-9 at doubles in first full collegiate season ... in dual matches, posted a 7-10 (2-2 PL) singles record and a 3-4 (1-2 PL) doubles ledger ... competed on the fourth (1-1), fifth (3-3) and sixth (3-6) singles courts ... seven of 10 victories came in straight sets ... clinched Bucknell's 4-3 victory over Lafayette with a 6-2, 6-3 decision over Eleanor Campbell at fifth singles ... played with four different doubles partners, scoring victories with Anna Lajos (2), Caroline Marcus and Tyne Miller ... member of Patriot League Academic Honor Roll.

2020-21 (First Year): Posted a 3-2 doubles record and a 1-4 mark in singles … earned two doubles victories in Patriot League play … secured a doubles win over Army in collegiate debut … captured first singles win in a match vs. St. Bonaventure … went 2-1 in doubles playing alongside fellow rookie Laurel Utterback ... member of Patriot League Academic Honor Roll.

Before Bucknell: Four-year letterwinner and two-year team captain at Mattawan High School … named All-Conference and All-State all four years … led team to conference and region championships … individually finished third in the state as a freshman and earned a conference singles title in 2019 … named Western Michigan Tennis Player of the Year in 2017 and 2019 … represented the Western Michigan Tennis Association as the number one player at the Midwest Team Cup.

Personal: Daughter of David and Meredith Novak … has two younger siblings: Lizzie and Matthew ... father played tennis at the University of Iowa ... majors are sociology and economics.