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08/04/2023 07:20 AMJulia Migliorini finished the high school portion of her tennis career as arguably the most decorated player in North Haven girls’ tennis history, and her proficiency flowed right onto the collegiate court as an ace athlete for Providence College.
With North Haven, Julia posted a record of 25-1 as a senior captain and advanced to the semifinals of the State Open Championship for the first time. Julia earned the
No. 1 singles position as a freshman and held down that spot for the rest of her high school career. After losing her first match, Julia went undefeated in regular-season play during the next four years, winning every contest in straight sets. Julia netted at least 22 victories in each season and finished with a remarkable career record of 99-5 with the Nighthawks.
In addition to being a four-time All-Southern Connecticut Conference (SCC) and All-State honoree, Julia was also named the SCC Player of the Year all four years, made the New Haven Register’s All-Area Team four times, and was selected as the Register’s All-Area Most Valuable Player in her sophomore, junior, and senior seasons. On top of that, she was a four-time recipient of North Haven’s MVP Award.
Julia recently wrapped up a successful stay with NCAA Division I-program Providence College–competing in doubles, in addition to No. 1 and 2 singles, while earning Team MVP honors her sophomore season.
“In the Big East Conference, there was definitely tough competition each match, so it was very challenging,” says Julia. “I played so many matches that I think I got used to the competition, and I grew as a player by playing people better than me.”
In the change of scenery from North Haven to Providence, Julia learned to strengthen her weaknesses with respect to her array of swipes, while also delving deeper into her mind to truly prepare for crucial and critical court clashes.
“I knew I had to change my game in college; the players in college are incredible,” Julia says. “I had more loopy shots in high school, so I had to work on my backhand and serve. I did a good job of incorporating new things into my game through trial and error. Mental toughness was also big; I learned more about preparing myself before matches by doing research and also spending time on recovery.”
After such a prominent high school career, Julia set high targets upon herself with her first forays as a Friar. Yet through the ebbs and flows of not only her college campaigns and each matchup, she grew greatly in self-belief and trusting teammates.
“Tennis is such an up-and-down game, and I set the expectations for myself high my freshman year. It was a hard transition, and I had to work for it and focus on improving so many facets of my game,” says Julia. “I grew confidence in myself through teammates and playing so many matches. It all taught me about supporting one another and how hard work pays off.”
In only two years at the helm and with Julia, Providence College women’s tennis Head Coach Orsi Golovics praises her for being able to navigate the waters and responsibilities of being a NCAA student-athlete while trudging on through the tougher spots and stretches of her tennis tenure with the Friars.
“In these two years, Julia went through an incredible and unique journey that challenged her daily but made her stronger both mentally and physically. It’s very hard to be a student-athlete. It is a rewarding experience but extremely challenging, and there are days when it would be easy to throw in the towel,” says Golovics. “Julia came across those tough moments during her career too, but I am so proud of her for facing her struggles and choosing to embrace the not-so pretty side of things as well. This is everything I can hope to see from all my athletes. She has done all of this with grace, kindness, and being a supportive and respectful teammate and player along the way. Julia was always very approachable, easy to communicate with and talk to. She has been nothing but a joy to have around on a daily basis.”
Though moving past any hurdles, Julia grinded out some memorable victories under Golovics’ watch–boosting her belief in herself in addition to acquiring essential intangibles that will serve her well beyond the court.
“Julia is an incredible athlete, and I could always trust that she would do her absolute best during competition, no matter what,” says Golovics. “Some of her most memorable wins from these past two years were against Harvard University’s Angel You [2-6, 6-2, 10-7] and beating Georgetown’s Chloe Bendetti [6-2, 6-3] in the No. 2 singles position. I saw Julia become a more confident individual throughout the years and that showed in her personal life but also when she stepped on the tennis court, both in doubles and in singles. I know that Julia’s hard work and consistency during her college years has shaped her into a remarkable individual, and she is ready to take on whatever challenges lie ahead.”
The Georgetown triumph was pivotal personally for Julia, while she was additionally part of a Providence squad that nabbed an historic victory for the program this spring.
“We actually had our first Big East win in eight years this season, and it was such a big deal for us in seeing the results of our work finally pay off. It was rewarding, and I was happy to be part of it,” says Julia. “Individually, I had the win against Georgetown as the
No. 2 singles player; it stuck with me and was one of my best and longest matches.”
Julia concludes that none of this tremendous tenure at Providence would have been built without the formative years and experience she gained at North Haven High School while being part of a cohesive and close-knit club.
“My strokes developed a lot through high school tennis,” Julia says. “It also taught me the value of being on a team and being there for one another, which are big aspects of the college game and having team spirit. High school tennis also built up the foundation of confidence in myself.”