Commitment Profile
Countdown: Cao Twins are Bound for Memphis
by
Ali Jones, 27 October 2015
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The college search for four-star identical twins Josephine and Katherine Cao began and ended in Memphis, Tennessee.
Hoping to get acquainted with various colleges and tennis coaches at the
2015 National Clay Courts, the Cao sisters were separately approached by coaches from the
University of Memphis.
"We weren't even playing at the same site," Josephine said. "I just happened to be playing next to the girl whom Assistant Coach Ryan Haymond was actually watching."
Meanwhile, Head Coach Hayden Perez had purposely set her schedule to watch Katherine, who is the top-ranked senior from Kansas.
Call it destiny, coincidence, happenstance or plain luck. Not much later after their meetings with the Memphis coaches, the sisters, reigning 2015 Kansas 6A Doubles Champions, happily gave their verbal commitments to Memphis.
"It's really nice to be together in college," Katherine said. "When I was younger I used to think we would never go to the same college, but as I grew up I said, 'Oh we're definitely going to the same college.' We'll end up missing each other. It's nice to know that you have someone you're related to who's there for you."
Logistically, being on one campus is more practical for the family, who lives in Lenexa, Kansas.
"It's just easier for our parents and it's also nice to have my sister - someone I know already," said Josephine, the third-ranked senior in Kansas. "It's nice to know I won't be alone."
Family is important to the Cao sisters, and in fact, they began their tennis training at age six while watching older cousins on the court. An uncle, a tennis enthusiast and part-time coach, worked with them on the fundamentals of the game. An older cousin played college tennis.
"It looked really fun and that's when I started," Josephine said.
Each athlete developed her own unique style: Josephine, five feet tall and one minute older, considers her backhand a strength. While a counter attacker, she also likes to go for big shots and is quickly gaining more success and confidence as an aggressive player.
