| Rebecca Dirksen |
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 | Last College:
Dartmouth '00
|
| Position:
Assistant Coach
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|
|
Rebecca Dirksen joins the Carolina women's tennis program in 2001, making her debut in the ranks of college coaching.
Dirksen graduated from Dartmouth in 2000 where she played tennis for four years. She forged a relationship with head coach Jen Callen during her senior year, when Callen was at the helm of the Big Green, and joins Callen in her first year at UNC.
Although she has never spent significant time in the south, she is happy with her move.
"I was very excited to come," Dirksen says. "I didn't know what to expect, but it's been an easy move for me. I love it here."
Dirksen grew up in Palo Alto, Calif., before moving across the country to attend Dartmouth.
Dirksen left Dartmouth as one of the best players in school and Ivy League history. She immediately landed the number one spot on the team as a freshman and maintained it for her entire career at Dartmouth.
Dirksen earned first team All-Ivy honors in each of her four years, including her junior season when she played the year with a broken foot.
Dirksen graduated with a degree in government and took particular interest in law and Title IX issues.
Dirksen made a a big impact on the tennis world before even going to college. She was inducted to the international tennis hall of fame for sportsmanship after graduating from high school.
Dirksen comes from a big family with a tradition in athletics. She has five siblings, all of whom played tennis and competed athletically on the college level. She began playing tennis at a
"I've been playing tennis since I was three and in tournaments since I was seven or eight," Dirksen says.
She worked for a television station in San Francisco after graduating before getting back into tennis.
She realized that she missed being involved in tennis and jumped at the chance to work with Callen and the UNC tennis team.
"I'm so lucky to be able to do something that I love," Dirksen says. "That’s why I got back into tennis."
