From winning a state championship as a freshman, to passing on her knowledge as a senior, Brianna Stewart (‘26) has been the epitome of a great teammate and dedicated athlete throughout her tennis career. Recently, she announced her commitment to the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia, where she will play Division III tennis and pursue a collegiate education.
Most weekdays, Stewart devotes around three hours to working on her craft. Often practicing at Cary Tennis Park, she spends many weekends playing in tournaments, and if she happens to have a day off from competition, she will spend it hitting with a friend or taking a well-deserved rest day. Hard work pays off, as shown by the fact that Stewart’s freshman season concluded with a North Carolina state championship, and she finished her high school career with 73 total matches won for the Falcons.
Tennis is a heavily individualized sport, so finding a team that feels like family can make the internal challenges of the game easier to manage. In Green Hope’s tennis team, Stewart found a group of girls that she could look to and trust on and off the court. As a player, Stewart is the level-headed leader that any good team needs. To her teammates, she is a calming force that can be relied on no matter the situation. Stewart’s favorite memory from her time with the team is the annual team sleepovers, which she describes as a great bonding experience that everyone enjoys.
Emma Fischer (‘27), who has played with Stewart for three seasons, spoke about her character and the qualities that make her a great captain. “Very early on in her freshman year, she had to take the role of a higher-up tennis player on the team. I think she’s gotten used to being higher up and teaching new girls and such.” Stewart’s adaptable and calm nature made her an easy recruit for college coaches and an asset to any team. Fischer mentioned her reaction to hearing about her teammate’s commitment. “I wasn’t surprised that she was gonna commit. I knew that she was a great tennis player and that she was going to get in somewhere, but I’m really glad that she found the school that she loves,” she said.
Athletics provide a learning environment in so many ways, offering plenty of life lessons and opportunities for personal growth. Stewart began playing tennis 11 years ago after being inspired by a match she watched on TV. “My parents started taking me to a park because I had expressed interest in the sport,” she said. Stewart attributed her success to hard work and mentioned her family and teammates as her biggest supporters. “I think the Green Hope team was big for helping me realize I wanted to be on a team in college.”
In her four years as a Falcon, Stewart has accumulated plenty of accolades, both athletic and academic. She is a straight-A student through many honors and AP classes, and is a member of Green Hope Band’s Wind Ensemble. With extracurriculars taking up so much of her time, Stewart emphasized the importance of time management. “I try to get as much done in school as possible,” she said about her academic strategy. “I am playing tennis a lot, so I don’t have as much free time to hang out with my friends and everything.”
The decision is the toughest part of the commitment process, but Mary Washington was a natural choice for Stewart. When asked about the factors that influenced her decision, she referenced the beautiful campus, well-equipped tennis facilities and the overall welcoming environment that the players and coaches created. She also mentioned distance as an important aspect for her: “It’s far enough away where I feel like I’ll be independent, but still close where I can come home if I have to.”
In a piece of advice to other high school athletes who want to compete at the next level, Stewart recommended visiting as many schools as possible and not feeling rushed to make a decision. Playing collegiate sports is a big commitment of time and energy, and this should be considered when choosing an environment to spend four years in. Although her leadership and tennis skills will be missed at Green Hope, Stewart will surely continue an impressive athletic career at Mary Washington.
