PROVO, Utah — BYU women's tennis junior Jacque Dunyon is looking forward to competing in the Big 12 this upcoming season and is excited about the challenges and opportunities the new conference presents.
Her Love For Tennis
Dunyon's first love for tennis came when her parents put her in the sport when she was young. "When I was little, my dad took me to Florida a lot to train," said Dunyon. "I first grew my love for tennis training with my dad and spending countless hours on the court just grinding away helped me gain a love for the sport."
With tennis being global and an individual sport, Dunyon's parents thought that it would be a perfect fit for Jacque. Her dad has always been there for her and Dunyon considers him one of her best supporters. "My dad (Dave) is a great supporter," said Dunyon. "He's my number one."
Friendships
Dunyon considers all of her teammates to be her best friends and has enjoyed all of the relationships that she has built while playing for BYU. The memories and love that Jacque has for her teammates are one of her favorite parts about playing for the Cougars.
Maddy Smith, Dunyon's roommate for the last two years has become one of Dunyon's greatest friends. "She is one of the closest friends that I have," said Dunyon. "We have lived together and it is really fun being friends with your teammates because they are your built-in best friends."
Journey to BYU
Upon her commitment to the Cougars, Dunyon received a lot of offers from other institutions and even committed to Arizona State. "I was originally committed to play at Arizona State," said Dunyon. "But as time grew closer to attending, I started getting sad that I was going to miss my family and I have been a huge BYU fan throughout my life."
Although Dunyon had committed to the Sun Devils, Jacque's friendship with BYU women's tennis head coach Holly Hasler played a big role in her decision to eventually play for the Cougars. "Holly played a big part in me coming to BYU," said Dunyon. "She was constantly writing me letters, emails and calling me all the time. I just knew that BYU was the place that I needed to be at."
Dunyon has loved her time at BYU and is grateful for everything that the program has given her. "I have been super thankful for my time here," said Dunyon. "I feel really good about my choice playing for the Cougars."
Idol
Someone that Dunyon has always idolized and immediately stated that she wants to be like is her mom Jen. "I want to be just like my mom," said Dunyon. "She is superwoman and can balance and juggle everything."
Her mom is a big runner but even with that hobby, still puts her kids first. "She is a big runner," said Dunyon. "Each morning she would wake up early to go running and to make it back in time to make me breakfast before tennis and school. She's also always at my matches and I want to be just like her."
Dunyon's support from her parents has helped her become who she is today and she is very thankful for everything that they have done for her.
Season Goals
Joining the Big 12 has Dunyon excited for this upcoming season and she can't wait to compete on the court. "This new era is going to be big time for us," said Dunyon. "I think we are going to do great things in the Big 12 and I want to push myself and my teammates to be the best we can be."
Dunyon is also looking forward to improving her individual play in matches, posting a winning record, and pushing herself to compete at the highest level in the conference.
For Fun
Country music is a favorite of Jacque's and she considers herself to be a big fan of Johnny Cash and George Strait. Dunyon also has three little sisters who she loves very much and grew up mountain biking.