After a year of dominance at the Division II level of college tennis, Apopka High School alumna Alyssa Novoa has announced her commitment to the University of Tulsa.  

Novoa is transferring from Rollins College, where she reached a No. 2 ranking in the entire nation. 

Novoa verbally announced her commitment Tuesday evening after a long process of decision-making. She had a list of 25 Division I schools that either reached out or offered her scholarships to attend their school, with six schools offering a full ride. 

Her talents will be tested in a competitive American Athletic Conference. Several schools reached out between the Big 12, Big 10, and ACC, but she believes Tulsa gives her the best chance to prosper. 

“I picked Tulsa because after speaking with Coach Dean [Orford] about the program and what my goals are, it was the best fit for me,” Novoa said in an interview. “I know I will develop and improve the best at Tulsa.” 

Her mother Lesley Novoa, head coach of Apopka High School tennis, was emotional about the moment and dream come true for her daughter. 

“It is definitely very heartwarming, and it makes everything feel worthwhile,” her mother said. “We’ve always been a huge support and a backboard for her to throw ideas off of. To see this come to fruition, and to see her dream of playing Division I come true, you couldn’t feel any better. I couldn’t be more proud of her and her tenacity and determination.” 

Her first-ever coach when she was 3 years old, Sarah Harkins, has watched her grow as a mentor, babysitter, and lifelong family friend. 

“Alyssa has both on-court and off-court improvements, and I’ve seen her grow personally,” Harkins said. “I’m so excited for her and so proud of her. I’ve seen every little stage, from her younger tournaments to watching her at Rollins, you see all the improvement. The dedication she has for it is unbelievable. I think her dedication and her amazing family support helped get her where she is.” 

Her improvement showed straight out of the gate in Division II at Valdosta State University her freshman year. After achieving a top-60 ranking and a record of 11-7 (6-2 in conference play), she transferred closer to home to Rollins College in a tougher conference for her sophomore year. 

Novoa made an immediate impact for the Tars and jumped on line 1. Between the fall and spring seasons, she surmounted a record of 21-5. In the fall, she got an invite to play at the ITA Cup, where no other Rollins player had participated in 20 years. This spring, she beat the No.1 Division II player from Nova Southeastern, Kristyna Hranacova, making her the No. 2 ranked player in Division II. 

Novoa credited her steady improvement to the quantity of matches and practice. 

“I think just constantly playing has helped me a lot,” She said. “In high school, we play so many matches, whether it’s really good competition or lower level, and I think all of it matters. Even in college, there are teams that might not be as strong, but it’s still important to play them because you’re always gaining experience. It’s helped me mature mentally and with my tennis overall.” 

On Sunday morning before her commitment, she had a hitting session in front of a college coach. She showed advanced qualities in all aspects of the game – serving, receiving, power, and precision – against a men’s tennis player from UCF. He gave her props on her talent and playstyle. 

“I felt like she was really aggressive and strong at the net, especially on the serve plus one,” the UCF player said. “I felt like I had to hit a lot of perfect shots in order for her to make a mistake. I definitely think she’s up there with top DI girls. I’ve hit with a couple for UCF, and she’s definitely rivaling [them] with their talent.” 

Novoa’s end goal has stayed the same since she first swung a racket – becoming a professional tennis player. With a large goal set for the next stage of her life, she continues to give attention to the smaller goals each day. She talked about how important it is to have and achieve little goals, to help capture the main objective. 

“My goals this year were to be top-10 ranked, become an All-American, and play on line 1,” Novoa said. “I was able to do that, and I feel like those goals are what sets the difference. Sometimes life gets tiring if you don’t have those little goals, whether it’s making your bed or grabbing a coffee to complete homework — those are what makes such a difference for me. I think those little goals that I set with my coaches, or my parents, or whoever is in my support circle, is what’s gonna really make the difference for me now moving forward.” 

With another step complete toward becoming a professional tennis player, Novoa sets her focus to her junior year at the University of Tulsa.