Any student is going to struggle a bit when making the adjustment from high school to college, and athletics are no different.

So far this fall, it’s been smooth sailing for freshman tennis player Ross VanderPloeg. On the court, the Holland, Mich., native is off to a fast start, taking the Flight D singles crown at last weekend’s Ball State Invitational.

VanderPloeg hasn’t found the transition to the NCAA difficult, even with the increased level of intensity and competition.

“College tennis is a lot different because you actually have to go for shots and try and make them,” VanderPloeg said. “We’ve been preparing really well at practice and conditioning, so it hasn’t really been too tough to deal with challenges in adjusting.”

The ease of his transition to Division I competition is just as apparent to those around him, including first-year coach Pawel Gajdzik, who realizes the challenges of coming in as a freshman.

“At the high school level, you might see one or two Division I prospects, so the competition level is definitely higher in college,” Gajdzik said. “It’s more athletic, and we get a lot of international guys who can be ranked in ITF or ATP, so we definitely are challenged every time we step on the court.”

Vanderploeg’s doubles partner, sophomore Matt Hansen, sees the intensity that the freshman has been able to bring to the court, especially in his four-win performance at Ball State.

“I think it’s really important [to get early wins] because it helps build his confidence,” Hansen said. “I feel like Ross has a lot of potential, bringing a lot of energy to the court and I really feel like he’s helped carry us to a lot of the wins this fall.”

Hansen and Vanderploeg have been able to create great chemistry quickly, advancing to the doubles semifinals at the Drake Invitational earlier this fall.

“We just try to keep a lot of energy and keep the high intensity,” VanderPloeg said. “So even if the other players are better than us, they don’t bring their intensity like we do, so we end up winning.”

Intensity and energy are aspects VanderPloeg has added to his game at NIU, as it was never before a big part of him as a player.

“In my junior career [intensity] wasn’t really big,” VanderPloeg said. “Here, coach stresses it a lot, so I’ve been trying to pick it up and it’s helped out a lot.”

He’s been able to improve many other areas of his game as well. Gajdzik has been putting the team through its paces with a new conditioning program and that has increased endurance, while also establishing better decision making each match.

“He’s getting physically stronger and has more conditioning,” Gajdzik said. “Also his decision-making process is a little more taut. He’s not just playing left-to-right, but he knows what to play on the court and has an idea of how to win the point.”

Given his fast start, the future of VanderPloeg’s career seems to be wide open, as several of his teammates and his coach have touted his high potential.

“I think right now the sky is the limit for him,” Gajdzik said. “If he improves at the rate that we see right now, he’ll be a very dangerous player in the spring. He’s just an open book right now and we expect great things from him.”