ELON, N.C – The life of a college athlete can be a grind, with obstacles standing in the way of success. For Sibel Tanik, no obstacle was too big to deter her from her passion.

"I love tennis," Tanik said. "It's always been my number one love. It's my first love and it always will be."

Now a veteran player in her final year of college tennis at Elon, Tanik's love for the sport has never waivered, even when faced with extreme and unexpected adversity.

The Road to ECU
Younger siblings often look up to their older siblings as they grow up; they work to follow in their footsteps. Tanik was no different. After picking up a tennis racket, just as her two older sisters did, she started on the journey to college tennis, maneuvering the road map they created for her.

"I'm the youngest by a lot, but the oldest is nine years older and my other sister is six years older than me. So I was the baby," Tanik said. "Our dad coached us, so I guess I was just born into it."

Tanik checked off each stop as she finally reached her goal of getting into her dream school, East Carolina University. She was not the only Tanik daughter to play for the ECU women's tennis program, as her sister Melis played for the Pirates before her.

"The recruiting process was so stressful," Tanik said. "It was awful. It's funny because the goal was always just to get to college. So once I signed or just even got an offer, I was like, 'It's OK, we're in the fun part now.' Yes, I visited other schools and I looked at other programs, but in my heart, I always wanted East Carolina."

The Raleigh native was not far from home as she donned the purple and gold of the Pirates and was able to put on a strong performance early on.

"My dad likes to call it the freshman mindset in terms of you want to prove yourself, so you really have nothing to lose," Tanik said. "I didn't know any of the other girls in these tournaments. I didn't know any other schools. I was just there to play."

During March of 2020, Tanik was traveling during East Carolina's spring break when the athletic department shared news of the canceled seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While at first she viewed it as an extended break, the reality of the situation soon hit her.

"I remember just being so confused as to, OK, where do we go now?" Tanik said. "I put in all this effort and it's my freshman year. I have so much left to give."

Tanik made her way back home to Raleigh and looked for activities to occupy her extra free  time. Whether it was going on runs or practicing with her dad, she was determined to stay fit for when the tennis season would start back up.

"They took down all the nets in my hometown," Tanik said. "Me and my dad ended up hitting without them. I would just imagine it was there, which was funny. I was like, 'That's the best we can do. I will not get off.'"

While she was working out and waiting for the green light to return to ECU, Tanik and her teammates started to hear whispers concerning the state of the tennis program.

"We had heard rumors of it," Tanik said. "We got on this Zoom call [with] only men's and women's tennis and men's and women's swim. I just had this terrible gut feeling. I was like, 'This is not going to be good.'"

In the brief meeting, it was announced that the programs were being cut from East Carolina's athletic program due to budgeting concerns. 

"We ended the call and I went downstairs and I just cried in my parents' arms, I was so sad," Tanik said. "I remember sitting in my dad's office just sobbing and then they cleaned me up a little bit and then my mom said, 'OK, let's start writing to coaches. Let's get into the transfer portal.'"

Next Stop: Elon
While just a few years prior, Tanik was able to follow the path to ECU, it was time for her to add her own stops. With her name in the transfer portal, emails immediately flooded her inbox and the process began.

"This was my path and my journey, which was scary but really beautiful in a way where it's like, OK, now I get to decide where I want to go and it's going to be my school," Tanik said. 

As the emails piled up reaching out to recruit her, Tanik received a message that stood out from Elon women's tennis head coach Elizabeth Anderson.

"After three or four days, coach Anderson emailed me and said she was sorry about what happened to me, but would love to talk to me about opportunities and about Elon," Tanik said.

Anderson's Elon team had faced off against Tanik when she was playing for the Pirates and was nothing short of impressed.

"I remember every time we played her thinking, 'How did Sibel get past me in recruiting?'" Anderson said. "I liked the way she competed, had pride for her team and school, and her positive energy on the court. I have always had a lot of respect for her and her coaches at ECU."

Luckily for Anderson, the feeling was mutual.

"I remember always having a lot of respect for the Elon team and the Elon girls and coach Anderson. They were always lovely to play," Tanik said. "I always thought they were so good and so nice. It's a good school, I like this coach and it's near my home."

A self-proclaimed homebody, Tanik was excited for the opportunity to stay in North Carolina and continue playing tennis, all while being close to her family. 

"It was kind of meant to be," Tanik said. "It was an easy decision from there. I think Elon was at the top of my list pretty quickly."

Tanik and Anderson kept in contact and soon, the transfer to Elon became official. 

"I was thrilled," Anderson said. "I really wanted Sibel to be somewhere where she was going to be happy because I felt like she really deserved that, so I'm glad it was able to work out here."

In the spring of 2021, Tanik moved into her dorm at Elon with her teammate Shauna Galvin and was back playing the sport she loves with her new team. Being back made the time practicing with imaginary nets worth it.

"At that point, I was just so thankful to be playing tennis still after what happened," Tanik said. "Anywhere I can come and play and be happy and have a scholarship, I'm thankful."

In the spring of 2022, Elon was set to face off against ECU after the women's tennis program was revived. Although she caught herself getting ready to cheer for the Pirates out of habit, she knew she was at home with the Phoenix.

"I was just excited to see them, but I definitely had this kind of chip on my shoulder of, 'I will not lose that match and I will be finished very quickly,'" Tanik said.

Both Tanik's current and former coach watched the match closely as she completed a singles win in straight sets. Her ability to bring the energy during each and every event was put on display that day.

"Regardless of who we were playing, whether it's ECU or it's another school, she just really puts everything that she has into it," Anderson said. "She puts her heart into it and has incredible energy and passion.  I greatly appreciate everything she has given, and continues to give, to our team and admire the way she has handled adversity.

Building A New Home
Energy, passion and dedication are key traits that Tanik has brought to the maroon and gold. In her fourth season with Elon, Tanik has served as a team captain along with who she calls her second half – Lizette Reding. The pair have been side by side since Tanik joined the team.

"It's been so nice with my best friend here," Reding said. "I think we have grown up so much since then and she just fills me with energy. She's someone that I could come to if anything's wrong with me and I trust her with my heart."

The No. 1 doubles pairing for the team has had great success throughout their careers and enter Friday's match against North Carolina A&T with 36 career victories together. Tanik credits that success to Elon's team culture.

"It just shows how the program here and the team and coach bred for success here," Tanik said. "I feel like we have such a good attitude towards everyone. Honestly, every single girl that's been here has had the same crazy work ethic and positive attitudes."

At the conclusion of the doubles point, Tanik and Reding do not have to be too far from one another. Typically playing side by side at the Nos. 1 and 2 positions, they love having the opportunity to watch the other compete.

"I always tell her I love playing next to her and she tells me that she loves playing next to me because we feed each other's energy," Reding said. "She's an amazing tennis player, so she inspires me to do better on my court when we play side by side."
 
The contagious energy is a regular occurrence at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center. The drive to accomplish goals and encourage her teammates to do the same is something Tanik's coach has gotten to witness – and hear – first hand.

"She's definitely one of the loudest and most energetic players," Anderson said. "Sibel has an incredible drive and genuinely wants the team to be successful."

Tanik learned the ropes from the lasting relationships she has made since coming to Elon. The different ways they have impacted her have helped her grow into a member of the Elon women's tennis family that people can look up to.

"I've met some really incredible people, I could name them off forever," Tanik said. "Olivia [Archer], Shauna [Galvin], Sofia Edo and not to mention Liz, who is like my best friend. Those are the people that taught me how to hold ourselves on the court and how we want to present ourselves."

In her leadership position, Tanik has served as a role model for not just her younger teammates, but her co-captain as well.

"The biggest thing [I've learned] is be bold," Reding said. "Watching her inspires me a lot to be more brave on the court, to hit the ball harder and go for it. She's taught us how to behave and how to stand for ourselves on the court and just be a great player." 

Although she can slowly start to see the finish line of her collegiate tennis career on the map, Tanik always remembers the start of the journey and what inspired her to play.

"From spending time with my mom and dad at tournaments, to hitting with my sisters when I was younger, when I look back I don't remember the wins and losses," Tanik said. "I just think about the good times we had and the sweet memories we made. I wouldn't be here without them."

Anderson has had a front row seat to watch Tanik's successes, including 48 singles victories, numerous conference player of the week and doubles team of the week honors and a slew of All-CAA recognitions.

"Sibel has accomplished so much and is very hungry to accomplish more," Anderson said. "I want her to continue to enjoy every minute of competing alongside her amazing teammates."

Forced to face obstacles early on in her collegiate career has helped Tanik to learn the importance of appreciating every moment and the lessons it can teach you.

"Being here and having that special bond and being given opportunities to prove myself and be in tough moments and overcome those tough moments is something that really makes me stronger as a person going into the rest of my life," Tanik said.

These lessons learned not only translate to playing on the court, but can also be taken into her life off of it, too. 

"Tennis will end one day," Tanik said. "We'll graduate, we'll move on and things will be gone, but it's how you had those experiences and how you look back on them and how proud you are of yourself and your friends, I think that's what matters the most in the end."

Transferring from a school you love is not a story people hear too often, but she wouldn't change it for the world.

"I just loved it here. It was so much fun," Tanik said. "I wish I could go back and do it all again. The exact same way, transferring and all. I am lucky I got to have two really nice experiences. I've made best friends for life in both places and not many people can say that."
 

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'Rising Phoenix' is a new student-led initiative to cover Elon Athletics. Through innovative content creation and storytelling, Elon University students will have the opportunity to highlight the moments, people and events that make an impact, leveraging the athletic department's various web and social media platforms for distribution. Follow Rising Phoenix on Twitter (@EURisingPhoenix) and Instagram (@elonrisingphoenix). Interested in joining this initiative as a content creator (video, graphics, writing, storytelling, or more)? Contact Jacob Kisamore at jkisamore@elon.edu.

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