Roiter's commitment to soccer, in fact, was one reason why Harvard tennis was interested.
Gordon Graham, the women's tennis coach, said that he looks to recruit athletes with this kind of diversity, and Roiter "definitely fits the mold of the team player. Usually, most successful tennis Juniors are naturally focused on their individual needs rather than the best interests of a team."
Bud Collins Story
As for her introduction to the game of tennis, it's a story Bud Collins would have conniptions over. Not only is Roiter's middle name "Love," but her entire family, has played tennis for years. Roiter and her mother, Martha, have competed in several national mother/daughter tournaments, and older brother Eric currently plays for Williams.
"The first time I played I was about three years old, watching my mom play a match," Roiter remembers. "They gave me a racquetball racket to play with in case I got bored, and whoever was watching me took me to the bangboard to hit. I loved it so much I didn't want to get off."
Kate's mother, Martha Roiter remembers the auspicious beginning well. "She really took it up on her own. We've encouraged her, but never pushed. For Kate, tennis is fun, not a commitment."
This might explain why Roiter is not obsessed with but genuinely dedicated to the game. And she has a realistic grasp of her future beyond tennis.
"Tennis is important and everything, but looking ahead 20 years from now, education will be a lot more important," Roiter said. "I finally decided on Harvard because I really wanted a school strong in academics."
As for being a student here at Harvard, the Pennypacker resident seems to be living through all of the normal trials and tribulations of life as a freshman. She's taking Heroes ("not really a gut"), misses her pets ("Daisy and Lulu") and isn't sure about her concentration ("maybe psychology--I'm interested in sports psychology, but I'm not sure yet").
Genuine College Life
Spend a few moments with her, and you find out that off the court, Roiter is an outgoing, amiable person who is genuinely enjoying college life and dislikes being called "cute."
But to get a clearer picture of Roiter, you have to talk tennis.
She admires Gabriela Sabatini's intense serve-and-volley game, likes Michael Chang "because he's short," and loves Stefan Edberg--well, because he's Stefan.
You have to know that she lives for charging the net and winning points off her volleys. She wonders why more people don't use a topspin lob against her. She enjoys playing doubles because "you have to play as a team."
Most of all, she loves being a tennis player. Period.