A Day in the Life: Allie Faulkner

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"Shall we go over the test?"

It's 8:31 a.m. on Tuesday, February 17 and a College Algebra class is getting underway at Upham Hall.

As the instructor at the front of the room began to explain and diagram the correct answers to each problem, Allie Faulkner followed along from her third-row seat near the window. The exam in question had been a successful one for her, although "it kind of stunk because there was only 10 questions and each one was worth 10 points," she explained later as she counted up the few points she'd missed.

Other students might not have fared so well, which the teacher seemed to take into account. "If I found a way to offer extra-credit homework, would we like that?", he asked a few moments later.

(Unsurprisingly, no one objected to that idea!) Algebra class

Faulkner used her stylus pen to take occasional notes on her tablet while equations like b^2 + xb^3 – 1/x + 2/b + 2x showed up on the chalkboard one-by-one with step-by-step solutions. "If I couldn't factor any of this, there'd be no point asking you to simplify it," the instructor explained at one point as he combined like terms. "We're just using the distributive law applied a bajillion times."

In between references to a barrage of mathematical concepts such as the difference of perfect squares and the FOIL method, there were occasional moments of levity —including an obligatory 'six-seven' joke— but time seemed to move slowly as the early-morning exam review concluded and the next lecture began.

"A function f is said to be increasing if f (x) < f="" (y)="" when="" x=""><>

And on and on it went.

"Hour-and-20-minute classes are just tough," Faulkner shrugged as she exited the building afterward to continue what she knew would be a very long and busy day.

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For a Division I student-athlete balancing academics and high-level athletics, most days are just that: Very long and busy. Faulkner, a freshman Marketing major on the Miami Tennis team with a sparkling 3.92 GPA, is certainly no exception, even on Tuesdays like this one where she only has to attend one class. The next stop on Faulkner's itinerary was the Armstrong Student Center, where the self-described 'Type A perfectionist' settled in for a couple of hours of homework.

Allie Faulkner

Strawberries certainly help, though!!

She ordered a bowl of oatmeal with brown sugar, pecans and strawberries to go along with her strawberry lemon-flavored Propel water before beginning to tackle a geology online quiz and hopefully recall everything she had learned about isotopes, half-lifes and atoms.

Once the quiz was over, it was time to turn the page to an assignment for her Sport Leadership and Management class. "Our SLAM teacher always reminds us, 'You can't play your sport forever,'" Faulkner said, as she recounted a recent in-class exercise of creating a résumé to showcase what she'd already accomplished as an athlete. "We've talked about people who really honed in on their sport, and when they got injured, they felt like they lost their identity.

"The main goal [of the class] is helping us, even if you do go pro, preparing for [life] after play."

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Speaking of résumés…

Faulkner's list of on-court accomplishments since first picking up a tennis racquet (which only happened because she saw a purple one in the store as a little girl and instantly gravitated to any item in her favorite color) is already impressively long, even though she hasn't yet finished her first collegiate season.

Recent examples include Faulkner and partner Maria Luisa Oliveira being named MAC Doubles Team of the Week on April 6, capping a stretch where Faulkner has won nine of 12 matches in conference play (5-1 at No. 2 singles, 4-2 at No. 1 doubles) over the past month for the Red and White. Allie Faulkner

"Allie is very competitive and also very coachable," said head coach Ricardo Rosas. "Her energy and drive to win is always there, and then she just wants feedback…[When we were recruiting her], it was just a green light: Exactly the player that we want.

"She has improved each match from the fall to now! To be 5-1 playing at No. 2 is not easy to do, especially as a freshman…but she was ready and she's been steady for us there throughout the whole year.

"That's been really good to see."

It's success that comes as no surprise for the Knoxville, Tenn. native, who came in with high expectations after capturing four consecutive Division II-A state titles from eighth to 11th grade to tie a state record.

"The whole reason I got to play up in eighth grade was that my middle school was on the same campus as our high school," Faulkner recalled. "I was an eighth grader playing against juniors and seniors: The goal was obviously to win states, but just going for fun. I played really well –no pressure— and won. That was probably my favorite one. I was 14 years old and still had braces [on my teeth]!...

"Freshman year, I got a really bad back injury a week and a half before and wasn't sure I was going to be able to play…I was proud of myself for battling [through] the injury, and I cried when I won. I usually don't do that.

"Sophomore and junior year, it was more like, 'Okay, this is a business trip. It would be embarrassing if I didn't win.'"

Allie Faulkner and family

Faulkner spent her senior year of high school training at Vandermeer Tennis Academy in Hilton Head, S.C. – making the temporary move there with her mom and pet black Labrador retriever 'Bear' and finishing her remaining coursework as a homeschooler – so she passed up the opportunity to try and win a fifth-straight title in Tennessee. "I got to do practices twice a day [in Hilton Head], which I think really helped me to get to a great level before college," Faulkner elaborated as she polished off a lunch of Ciao Bella pasta in the bustling student center.

That preparation on the island paid off this past fall when Faulkner came out on top in Miami's traditional early-season intrasquad tournament. "I thought I did a good job of handling the emotions of being a freshman and trying to prove myself," she said, understanding the importance of embracing a leadership role on a young roster with no seniors and having an impact, even as a first-year player.

Faulkner briefly paused her study session (and train of thought) to check the time on her cell phone, not wanting to be late for afternoon practice and knowing she still needed to take the short scooter ride back to her dorm to change clothes.

As she glanced at her phone, six simple words in massive font jumped off the lock screen for everyone to see.

"HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT?"

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"I put that there after the preseason poll came out," Faulkner explained.

The poll in question picked defending Mid-American Conference regular-season champion Miami to finish sixth in the 2026 league standings, and to say it motivated Faulkner a bit would probably classify as one of the biggest understatements in recent world history.

[Insert the famous Michael Jordan 'Last Dance' meme: "And I took that personally."] Allie Faulkner

"The MAC ranking picture is my home screen too, behind all these apps," she pointed out. "When we got ranked sixth in the preseason poll, I sent a message to our team: 'This is great motivation for us - this is an INSULT to Miami Tennis!'"

(Faulkner admitted that she was on her second cup of coffee in the airport getting ready to return to campus when she sent that particular message, which may or may not have been a contributing factor!)

"I feel almost like having the poll there [on my phone] and looking at it every day subconsciously will help me find the motivation," Faulkner continued. "It's hard going from week to week playing different people in different matches, but when you're really tired, 'How bad do you want it?' Are you still willing to go 100% in practice to achieve a higher ranking?"

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"HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT?"

Fast forward a few hours, and Faulkner was yelling that exact phrase word-for-word to encourage teammate Lovisa Valentinsson through a drill during Miami's afternoon practice at Riverside Athletic Club in Hamilton.

"The other MAC schools have nothing on us!," Valentinsson responded loudly a few moments later.

Spend any amount of time around a practice or match for the RedHawk tennis team, and it's clear that vocal encouragement is a significant element in the Miami program's success under Rosas (who has won more than two-thirds of his MAC matches with the RedHawks at 56-27 all-time).

"We do talk about it, and I think it's important," Rosas said later. "Sometimes the match can be going away from you, but when you hear your team, your people, your coaches…call out your name, it helps them to kind of get away from themselves and understand we're competing, but for the whole team…

"This group especially is a young team, but very close, and they've been taking that to a very strong level. They understand that every time they cheer for each other, you're lifting everybody up…

"When we win a set or win a match [and we yell that out], they get a little bit more energy and start digging deeper if they're doing well. If they're not doing so well, that helps them reset and say, 'Okay, I've got to do this for the team.'

"That's been really nice to see with this group."

The different call-and-response chants repeated frequently around the building throughout this particular practice, with each one echoing the next.

Miami Tennis

"Let's go, RED-HAWKS!"
"Let's go, Miami!"

"Let's go, Red!"
"Let's go, White!"

"Let's go, Malu!
"Let's go, Allie!"
"Let's go, Evelyn!"
"Let's go, Lovisa!"
"Let's go, Avery!"
"Let's go, Nina!"
"Let's go, Maria!"
"Let's go, everyone on the team!"

(Yes, really: That last phrase was definitely overheard right along with the rest. Seems like the perfect catch-all, right?)

While the vibes were high throughout the afternoon, practice was obviously strenuous, with a focus on stamina and outlasting every remaining team Miami might face over the next few months.

"If we go three sets, we OUTWORK the opponent," Rosas instructed, immediately repeating that particular teaching point a few more times for emphasis.

Back and forth went the ball. Back and forth went the pitter-patter of each player's feet. Forehands and backhands. Up to the net and then quickly retreating to the far corners. Long, looping shots followed by low drives that screamed right over the edge of the net.

Miami Tennis practice equipment

At one point, Rosas and graduate assistant Sara Zalukar oversaw a drill that didn't even involve using a racquet, as the RedHawks darted in and out of neon-colored cones while running start-and-stop figure-eight patterns. "In the third set, it's about fatigue," the coaches explained. "You know you can hit, but your legs are tired: Focus on the footwork and tell your brain to get to the ball…

"In those moments, your shots are there. It's the footwork!

"Lateral, quick feet. Stay low. In and out. Be quick, but don't hurry.

"Your legs should be burning."

(They certainly were.)

"In January, there were lots of lessons learned. In February, we almost accomplished what we set [out to do]," Rosas told his team with the majority of the non-conference slate out of the way and MAC play looming.

"Now, it doesn't change. Momentum is created right here, right now. I feel the momentum! Let's keep after it."

The remainder of the practice simulated a variety of different situations, with Zalukar pitching in to be an eighth player for even numbers' sake and Rosas yelling out hypothetical scenarios and scores for motivation.

"It's 5-0 in the third set!"

"7-7 to win the championship!"

"Get four in a row! Now six in a row! How about eight in a row?"

"I'm sweating more than [I was during] my third set Sunday," one player joked during a rare break (which was timed to last exactly 35 seconds before the grueling pace resumed).

While Zalukar is out of eligibility after an All-MAC collegiate career as a Miami student-athlete, the 2025 graduate more than held her own through the high-tempo workout.

"Sara is never tired," Valentinsson smiled. "She doesn't know what tired means. What is 'tired?'"

By 4 p.m., it was time to wrap up and begin to pick up the hundreds of tennis balls that were both strewn around the courts and seemingly lining every inch of the room's perimeter. (For those readers who might be curious, a few small shopping carts help with that particular project!!)

Allie Faulkner

"Last one, best one!", Zalukar exhorted as Faulkner prepared to contest her final point of the session.

Before the team headed out to the parking lot, they took an extra minute or two to —what else?— huddle up in a circle and practice yet another cheer.

"When I say, 'Red', you say 'White'!"

And then it was time to load up for the half-hour drive back to Oxford after what seemed on all accounts to be a successful practice.

Or as one RedHawk laughed, "Another day, another 'slay!'"

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"Please don't stop the music!"

A 30-minute van ride with the Miami Tennis team is reminiscent of one of former late-night host James Corden's most well-known bits: Carpool Karaoke.

"Don't judge: We're not the best singers," a few of the players fore-warned as they climbed into the backseat.

To be fair, there was a decent amount of vocal talent displayed…but the makeshift choir's enthusiasm was the most notable part of the impromptu singalong as Rosas navigated the vehicle back to campus to the strains of artists old and new like Britney Spears, Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Camila Cabello and many more.

Most of the songs got skipped about halfway through by whoever was handling DJ duties on this particular trip, probably just to get more tunes out before arrival. (Quantity over quality, right?)

The trip started, fittingly, with 'Let's Get Loud' by Jennifer Lopez. And it ended, even more fittingly, with Rihanna's 'Don't Stop the Music' before the music did, in fact, stop.

Faulkner said that her favorite part of being a college student-athlete so far is the relationships she's built with her teammates, and that's easy to see. Although the roster literally comes from all over the globe (five different countries are represented among the seven RedHawks), the team's bond is obvious, whether in the heat of battle between the lines or in the relaxed conversations and inside jokes that flow freely during the many hours spent together daily.

Miami Tennis huddle

"Allie's got really cool pants!", Evelyn Risner exclaimed earlier that afternoon within minutes of seeing Faulkner for the first time.

"Allie's got really cool socks!", Maria Komar chimed in, referencing a pair of 'Monsters, Inc.' themed socks Faulkner had worn recently with cartoon character Sulley's face on them.

"We're so close, and I don't know how I would navigate college without them," Faulkner said that morning as she reflected on teammates and friends that she may have only known for a year so far but feel like they've been together forever.

"It's so nice having girls that have gone through the classes that I've taken and can help me and give me tips. [It means a lot], just knowing that they went through all the same struggles I did and are there to support me.

"Honestly, I just love them so much."

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Beyond the draw of the people, Faulkner came to Miami initially because the university checked every single box on her list, including a good business school, a big school ('but not Ohio State-big with 30,000 people'), a tennis program she could play at where she knew she was wanted, and even a 'college town surrounded by farmland.'

"I love farms," Faulkner had smiled that morning. "That's my dream: to live on a farm." The Faulkner family owns a farm in west Tennessee where they like to go duck hunting and then recently bought another farm property in the Knoxville area where they plan to build a house (or perhaps several houses if Allie and her older sister Kate decide they want to live nearby as adults!).

"I want chickens, maybe some more dogs, and I want a donkey," Faulkner said matter-of-factly as she daydreamed about that potential future.

Allie Faulkner and family after 2022 state title

Allie Faulkner and family after 2022 state title

Why? "Well, a donkey seems fun, and I want to name it 'Donkey', like [in the movie] Shrek!," she promptly responded.

One of Faulkner's favorite hobbies is hunting with her dad, which includes an annual February quail hunt in Georgia that she knew she would miss out on for the first time because of when it falls during the spring semester calendar.

"We hunt for ducks and doves," she said. "I really like the dogs part of it too; we'll have little dogs and bigger dogs…

"I've been [around hunting] since I was probably four years old, and I got my hunting license in sixth grade so I could start going with my dad," she added.

"I'm just not a big-city person. I don't like the hustle and bustle; I like it calm and quiet. And [when I was choosing a school], I really liked that Oxford was so community-based, if that makes sense.

"Miami just worked out perfectly for me, and I've loved it here!"

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Faulkner's whirlwind day was far from over, as the RedHawks piled out of the van at 4:28 p.m. and immediately made the trek upstairs to the tennis offices at Yager Stadium for a mental training session with Dr. Robin Vealey and Nicholas Elliott. The two professors from Miami's Department of Sport Leadership and Management spent the better part of the next hour helping the RedHawks process the results from their past weekend of non-conference matches against Cincinnati (a tight 4-3 road loss) and Butler (a 6-1 home win).

"Our [training] has definitely helped me pick up little nuggets of information to just keep me mentally 'there'," Faulkner had said that morning as she previewed what the team would discuss with its mental coaches. "Honestly, everyone is good at this level, so [it comes down] to who has the better strategy or who can handle their emotions the best… Allie Faulkner

"We just go over the past week together and talk about: What did we see that can help us for the next weekend or what challenges did we face?"

Each player had a copy of a 'feeling wheel' handout on the table in front of them to try and zero in on words such as 'happy,' 'surprised', 'bad', 'angry', etc. and put both victories and defeats into perspective.

"Reflect back and write down what happened," Elliott requested. "Brain-dump first, then try to put it in a sentence, then get that experience in a phrase, then down to one single word."

For Faulkner, the weekend had been a 'rollercoaster,' including a scoring dispute in a set she thought she'd won multiple times but ended up dropping (one of the difficult things about a sport where players make many of their own officiating calls). However, she knew the difficulties that she'd battled through and the lessons she's learned would pay off for her when MAC play rolled around.

"I started low, but I finished high," she told the group.

Several teammates chimed in with their individual viewpoints on the resilience and determination it takes to excel in matches like the ones the RedHawks had just completed.

"It was a gritty weekend with a lot of growth," one player summarized.

Miami Tennis with Coach Ricardo Rosas

"Play gritty, not pretty," Faulkner said, referencing the mantra displayed on a nearby wall.

"We're becoming better in the battle," Rosas added.

Elliott and Vealey asked the team to brainstorm together and come up with a new slogan or phrase they could take into each game and point going forward, a project that occupied the next few minutes of conversation.

The session concluded with an in-depth visualization exercise to help the student-athletes be hyper-aware of their senses and breathing, as Elliott introduced the concept of 'proprioception', a 'sixth sense' of how the body moves in space.

Afterwards, Vealey suggested in a sidebar conversation with Faulkner that the hat Faulkner wears at every match could serve as a mental trigger to help the rookie standout zero in on the approach she wants to incorporate: namely, not getting easily frustrated while still staying aggressive.

"You see that narrow cone [of the brim] in front of you, and it can serve as a reminder to focus in," Vealey mentioned.

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From mental training to physical training, the next stop on the agenda was the weight room at the Walter L. Gross Jr. Family Student Athlete Development Center. Kelsey Minson, the team's strength coach, was waiting along with her dog Denver at the top of the steps to lead the RedHawks through an hour-long workout.

Faulkner took her sweatshirt off and picked up a foam roller before moving to the next station with its five-pound plates and red and purple resistance bands. Each student-athlete had a personalized folder with instructions for what to do and where to do it, which helped the group maximize its 60-minute session.
Allie Faulkner

The small details clearly mattered, as one set of a dozen jumping jacks was repeated because not all seven student-athletes ended the 12th and final maneuver at the exact same time. From box climbs to leg lifts to weights, Faulkner and her teammates made progress to the soundtrack of techno music blaring in the background.

Was it hard work, especially for student-athletes who had been on the go for basically 10 hours straight? Yes.

Were there plenty of smiles? Also yes.

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"The advice I'd give someone if they're doing a sport is 'Make sure you find the joy in it,'" Faulkner had mused out loud that morning. "I've struggled with that at times, but my mom would always tell me, 'Find the joy. Find the joy.'

"Without the joy, you're just going to be miserable. It's hard. College athletics is especially hard. If you can't find the joy, pursue something where you DO find the joy."

Faulkner's day on February 17 —and her freshman year as a whole so far —exemplifies that message. And whether or not the season ends with her reaching every goal on her checklist (including qualifying for the MAC Tournament, winning a title, and capturing MAC Freshman of the Year honors, just to name a few), the work she and the RedHawks have already put in under Rosas' leadership have the senior-less roster perfectly set up for not only a crucial stretch run, but also a bright future.

Allie Faulkner Day in the Life

"There's no pressure because we're such a young team and we're not graduating anyone, so it's kind of like we're all trying to figure it out," Faulkner said back in February. "We might not be the favorite, but we're holding the title at the moment…

"Coach is very positive…he always tells me that he's proud of me and that I'm doing well. Even throwing me in the top of the lineup as a freshman: He holds us to a high standard, but he's always very helpful getting us there and maintaining it…

"I just know every time I got out on the court, I need to give it all that I've got. That's going to help the team, and for my personal goals, help me there too."

Fast forward to the present, and Miami will host Dayton and Eastern Michigan this week (Friday and Sunday, respectively), before concluding the regular season with trips to Marshall and Ball State. The conference matchups against the Eagles and Cardinals will prove pivotal in Miami's hopes of making the four-team MAC Tournament, which is scheduled to be contested April 25-26 on the RedHawks' home courts in Oxford. Miami is currently a half-game out of the field, just behind Western Michigan and Toledo (who both still have to play undefeated league leaders Buffalo and/or UMass over the next two weeks).

"It's just one match at a time, and we really control our own destiny," Rosas said this week. "Our group understands that – we talk a little bit about where we are – and the best part is that since we've started playing MAC matches, in each match we're becoming a better team in terms of all the things we've been working on. Especially in our last match against NIU [a crucial 4-3 win]…

"We've got to take care of Eastern Michigan and then Ball State, but we've been playing better and better… Allie Faulkner

"That's something really good to see, so we've just got to go match-by-match and hopefully things go in our favor."

In other words, expect Miami Tennis to take things one day at a time.

Because stacking a few more productive days in a row like February 17 just might be enough to help Allie Faulkner and the RedHawks achieve their dreams this spring…

…which would make for a very memorable 'day in the life' indeed.

Find more Front Row Features at: MiamiRedHawks.com/FrontRowFeatures

Miami Tennis wraps up the home portion of its regular-season schedule with matches this Friday, April 10 against Dayton and Sunday, April 12 against Eastern Michigan. Both contests are currently scheduled to be played outdoors in Oxford beginning at noon; check back to MiamiRedHawks.com for up-to-date schedule information. The MAC Tournament gets underway Saturday, April 25 on Miami's campus, with the championship match set for Sunday, April 26.

Miami Ohio University Athletics

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Allie Faulkner

Maria Komar

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