Women's Tennis Head Coach Susanne Depka on Why Give, Why Now

Can you share an example of one or two ways philanthropic support has made your program stronger recently?
The annual support we receive is key in helping us achieve our goals and getting us closer to winning an A-10 Championship. Recently, we were able to purchase a much-needed team bus that will cut down on our travel costs considerably. Philanthropy also allows us to travel with the entire team and broadens the scope of schools we are able to compete against. We're also able to provide each of our scholar-athletes with a more robust gear package and their racket string of choice. Scholarship support helps us immensely on the recruiting front, allowing us to compete with other schools for the best scholar-athletes.

What are some key ways you see your program advancing in the next 1, 2, 5 years?

Davidson is a very special school and the Women's Tennis team is no exception. The team selects amazing young women who are committed students and players, and the coaches do an exceptional job at nurturing the whole person, not just the athlete. They truly take care of the girls and mentor them in their journey to adulthood, fostering leadership, humility and a sense of community. The team has a great culture. We donate for all of the above reasons, but also because we want this legacy to continue for many years to come.
~ Parents Maria Rodriguez and Reuven Porges (Dani '25)

This year, with 11 on the roster, we have the largest squad women's tennis has had since I have been at Davidson. We are getting more and more interest from players across the country, which means the Davidson brand has become more readily recognized, and the tennis program is gaining further exposure. Because of this, our roster is deeper with significant talent, allowing us to become more competitive in the A-10 Conference as well as regionally and nationally. I see our program competing for an A-10 Championship within two years, and I am hopeful to have individual players in the NCAA Tournament in 2-5 years.

We are also very fortunate to have coaches who have been with the program for several years, bringing a vast amount of knowledge to the program and building lasting relationships with the players. This contributes to a large part of our success and will further support our success in the coming years.

What do you see in our scholar-athletes every day that makes an investment in them worthwhile?
Our scholar-athletes represent Davidson and the women's tennis team at the highest level. They are extremely dedicated and highly focused on their game during both semesters while also excelling in the classroom. Tennis is essentially a year-round sport – the fall season is focused on improving their game while also competing to qualify for national events. The spring season is every weekend vying for an A-10 Championship.

Our players truly enjoy their sport – they work hard each day to succeed in tennis and become better individuals, overall. In our program, players will occasionally make changes to their game to become the best player they can be. For some, these are extreme changes. It is tough to make any change, especially at this point in their careers. It is an ongoing process that takes a certain type of person to commit to that level of excellence while meeting the expectations of our program.

Every year, we graduate young women who have left everything they had out on the court and in the classroom, having spent their four years at Davidson driven and determined to be the best. And they leave here as remarkable representatives of Davidson College to lead extraordinary lives of leadership and service.

What are you most excited about when you think about the future of your program?
I am very excited to see what our scholar-athletes can accomplish, not only this year but in future years. As I said before, we have a lot of interest in our program, and that is mostly because of the current players and their commitment to the team. Each year, we get high-level players to join our program, but we also attain quality people. I am excited and motivated because I know the level of tennis these players can achieve. There will be much success we have not accomplished yet, with this group and future groups moving forward.

"Athletics Done Right:" What does that mean to you?

"Davidson does athletics right" means we don't sacrifice in either department. We work hard to accomplish our goals both on and off the court. For me as a coach, it also means flexibility. Most of our players are going to become professional people. We have high standards on the court, but we also don't want the sport to get in the way of their goals outside of tennis. We have proven we can compete at a high level in academics and in athletics. You just need the right mindset, and we all can accomplish anything we put our sights on.

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