Somerset's Kylie Walker commits to Messiah University for tennis

Somerset senior Kylie Walker captured two District 5 Class 2A doubles tennis championships and finished as the runner-up twice in singles. She also helped the Golden Eagles earn an improbable district title this past season when she knocked off Bedford No. 1 Josie Shuke in three sets.

It was sweet payback for Walker, who was bested by Shuke in the District 5 singles championship.

Walker, a four-year starter for the Golden Eagles, never picked up a racket until the summer prior to her freshman year in high school. Her game blossomed in a hurry. Now, Walker is headed to Messiah University to continue her athletic and academic career after committing to play for the Falcons of the Middle Atlantic Conference on Wednesday.

"My dad actually found Messiah. We were looking for schools that had good music programs because that's what I am going for, music education," said Walker. "Messiah was a highly-ranked school for music. We toured it and it felt right; it just felt right for me. The campus was beautiful."

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Walker has been on the Messiah campus multiple times.

"I am just so excited," she said. "It's a bonus that they have a tennis team. I can't wait to play."

Walker has had great success in both singles and doubles. She is hoping to play a little bit of both at Messiah.

A natural on the softball diamond as well, Walker used her softball swing to help develop a forceful forehand.

"It is sort of the same motion," Walker said of swinging a bat and a tennis racket. "It was very difficult at first. I had lots of lessons from coach (John) Harris. I went to a lot of drop-ins. I realized that this game is really fun. I never really thought too much of tennis before, but after playing it, I just loved it. The coaches and my friends have helped my passion grow for tennis."

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She boasts a 3.9 GPA and plans to become a teacher in the future. Walker is a member of National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, Spanish Club and orchestra at Somerset.

Walker, the daughter of Eric and Shannon Walker, thanked Harris and Somerset assistant coaches Sandy Abramowich and Ashley Oglevee for the time and effort they put into the girls tennis program, and she thanked her family, friends and church congregation for their love and support.

Coach Harris has seen a great deal of talent come through the Somerset tennis program. But there may not be another one like Walker.

"It's rare to have a player start all four years," Harris said. "You don't have a lot of freshmen that are going to walk on and play doubles or singles for four years. I have not had many of those my entire career, maybe four or five.

"I don't know that I've had a player work harder than her in four years. This is someone who is non-stop. She works in the summers and takes extra lessons. When practice is over, she stays and plays more. On the weekends she plays with her friends and her dad. She never quit working."

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Walker's power was on display more often than not. She has a hard serve and could deliver some serious ground strokes. But Walker's game evolved her final season, and that helped make her a complete player.

"For all the hard hitting she did, sometimes I had to tell her to shift down to another gear a little bit," Harris said. "She hit it so hard and played so hard, but before her senior year, she developed some under spin. That was the difference in her game. She changed her game a little bit, shifted gears to keep more balls in play with some off-speed and mixed it up a little bit, and that's why we won a district title."

Harris said Walker is going to be missed by her teammates and coaches.

"You're not going to find someone more coachable," Harris said. "She just played with that quiet determination. She was a great teammate, never complained and played every point like it was the last point in her life. I've had a lot of really good players, but she is up near the top if not at the top."

Adam Ripple is the Daily American sports editor. He can be reached at 814-444-5926. Follow him on Twitter @ARipple_DAsport.