Feb. 15, 2016

By Jennifer Prosser

Rachel Chong is the only freshman on the 2015-16 women’s tennis team. The five-star recruit from Danville, California, posted a 5-3 record with the Irish in the fall but, after undergoing surgery in December, Chong will be spending most of the spring getting back to full strength. Catching up with her off the court, Chong shares another side.

Q: Who is your goofiest teammate?
A: Quinn [Gleason]. Quinn and I have a lot of similarities. She’s like a freshman with me at heart even though she’s actually a senior.

Q: Do you have any superstitions?
A: Since I started playing tennis I try to avoid walking on the lines. In my tennis bag I put my rackets in a specific way with one side of the frame facing up.

Q: What is your favorite purchase?
A: My Bose speakers that I got this past semester.

Q: If you could be someone else for a day, who would you be?
A: Definitely Taylor Swift. I love her music, and she’s a great inspiration to people. She’s helped people go through a lot of things, and she’s such a caring person.

Q: What is your favorite book?
I really liked Paper Towns by John Green.

Q: Which Disney Princess are you most like?
A: It’s funny because there was an Observer article last week that asked me what cartoon I’m most like. I said Mulan because she’s a fighter. I’ll go with her again.

Q: What is your dream vacation?
A: Bora Bora. I’ve seen pictures, and the water looks so pretty. I can just imagine relaxing all the time.

Q: What toppings do you usually get on your pizza?
A: I do combination, so pepperoni, bell pepper, olive, onion,and mushrooms. I really like Blaze.

Q: What animal are you most like?
A: I’d say a duck. I’m a duckling.

Q: Guilty pleasure TV show?
A: Grey’s Anatomy one-hundred percent. I’ve seen them all and rewatched everything a hundred times. I just love the show.

Q: What is one thing you can’t live without?
A: Would it be too cliche to say tennis?

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–ND–