Cristy Brusoe
UWRF Sports Information

Senior tennis player Cassie Wood didn’t have high expectations her first year with the Falcons varsity tennis team. “I wasn’t recruited here, I just showed up the first day,” Wood remembered. It would be her first year on the team that she achieved one of her greatest accomplishments. “My freshman year I played No. 3 singles, which was a really big accomplishment for me,” Wood said.

Originally from Wells, Minn., Wood grew up around sports. “I always liked being in sports as a kid; I was in soccer, dance and golf,” Wood said. Wood started playing tennis in second grade. Instead of taking lessons, she explained, “…my dad use to go out with me and play three or so times a week.”

“I love all of the girls on the team! It's not always easy to have a team where everyone gets along, but we're kind of like one big family. You'll see us hanging out a lot outside of tennis, whether we're running together to get in shape, or eating together for lunch, I'm just so thankful that we all get along so well!" Wood said with a smile.

The “dad” of this big family is Head Coach Lee Lueck. “Lee is the funniest guy ever. He even nicknamed me and my doubles partner (Stacia Kozel) the "Blonde Bombers. He’s like our dad and would do anything for us,” Wood explained.

Lueck reciprocated his feelings saying, “Cassie is a very spunky young woman on the tennis court; she never gives up and fights for every point no matter how long she needs to be on the court.”
Wood is an elementary education major with a minor in Spanish. After graduating, she hopes to work with fourth grade and older students in a multicultural school. “I’ve found that being around kids with different ethnic backgrounds is my passion, my calling,” Wood said.

There was one person in particular that has had a huge influence on Wood and her future career choices. “As a sophomore, I met a woman named Kozue Matsumoto who was a year younger than me. We bonded the most and became really great friends. She taught me a lot of Japanese and it intrigued me to see the differences between our cultures,” Wood explained. Matsumoto was Wood’s teammate on the Falcon tennis squad.

From just showing up the first day to being the No. 2 singles, No. 2 doubles, and co-captain her senior year, Wood has come a long way. When asked how she thought this year’s team would do, Wood quickly answered, “I think we are going to do awesome! We have a very strong team with a mix of veterans and freshmen. Right now we are struggling to find doubles teams, but we will eventually get it together.”

Leuck expects great things from Wood career-wise and as a player for the Falcons this year. “Academically she has the highest GPA on the team and is extremely dedicated to her elementary education major. I'm expecting great things from her this year - now that she is a role model/captain to six new freshman recruits,” he said.