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ITA MOST IMPROVED SENIOR JAEDA DANIEL | NC STATE UNIVERSITY

Jaeda Daniel

Senior | NC State University

ITA Most Improved Senior Award

Jaeda Daniel from NC State University has been named the 2022 ITA Most Improved Senior of the Year Award Winner.

After playing primarily at the No. 4 and No. 5 singles position as well as the No. 2 doubles position during the 2020 & 2021 seasons, Daniel took new leaps in her play in 2022.

Due to the graduation and injury of players above her in the lineup, Daniel jumped up all the way to the No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles positions this year and has flourished.

In 2022, Daniel has helped lead the Wolfpack to a Semifinal finish at the ITA National Team Indoor Championship, NCAA Semifinal appearance, NCAA Singles Championship selection, and an NCAA Doubles Championship selection as the No. 1 pair in the nation.

All of this hard work came to a crescendo in the NCAA Doubles Championship as Daniel and her partner Nell Miller took home the NCAA National Championship which marked the first NCAA Championship in NC State Women's Tennis history.

A Letter From Head Coach: Simon Earnshaw

Jaeda,

Congratulations on being named the national winner of the 2022 ITA Most Improved Senior award!

What a whirlwind it's been since you arrived in Raleigh. Growth hasn't always been linear (it never is), but you've always remained true to the plan. I've rarely seen a player realize such late career growth that you have had during your "senior" season. A big part of that equation is that all along you were diligently working away, racking up the wins and points for the team selflessly while awaiting your opportunity to play in a frontline role. You grasped that opportunity firmly this season, being one of only five players in women's tennis to finish the 2022 season as an ITA All American in both singles and doubles. More importantly, seldom does a player go out with their last shot being a winner and with that last shot winning an NCAA National Championship. What an incredible and apt conclusion to your time at NC State!

I continue to jokingly remind you of your visit back in the spring of 2019 and that I fought to get you and your family here to visit for a few hours with your fifth and final visit. Big D had promised us a chance, and I knew we had a limited opportunity. Thankfully Nezzie was present and at least initially it appeared she was sold! Funnily enough (and I didn't know it at the time), we were recruiting the family, and what we got for those few hours was your whole family! At the time, I missed the significance of this, but after three years of "aggressive hugging" and potentially more at the conclusion of our time in Champaign, Ill., this spring, I'll finally settle that we got absolutely everything we needed during the visit. We couldn't have been more fortunate to have the Daniel family as part of the Wolfpack from that point onwards.

I vividly remember the week after you made the decision to continue your career at NC State that I was at NCAAs at Lake Nona, and it was the first time there was real buzz with the program. Coming off our first NCAA Sweet Sixteen showing, the future was looking very bright! Your presence has been the one constant the past three seasons as we've transitioned to our own next gen, three seasons where we've pushed the boundaries of program history incrementally, almost match by match at times. There were so many highlights including your match clinchers to push NC State through to the Sweet Sixteen against Iowa State in 2021 and against Tennessee in 2022! Playing in an NCAA Final Four, ITA National Indoors semifinal and NCAA Doubles final might also qualify for standout moments. These moments will remain with you and all of us forever. This most recent step has been the most challenging with the program, to sustain the growth that had been paid forward and elevate NC State into a permanent fixture as an elite program. Your development and ability to step up on demand represented this program so well, especially when it seemed like we might be facing adversity. You swiftly answered all the naysayers and those that expected this to get the better of us. Instead, led by you, it emboldened our resolve to continue the fight against tradition that's got all of us to where we stand today.

I don't think there's a better way to put an exclamation mark on and recognize your career at NC State than this honor! The growth on court is one thing, but your contribution off court to this athletic department and school have been immeasurable. Often this is the work that goes without recognition and doesn't warrant an award or citation that stands as a permanent legacy. In turbulent times, through your service you have provided guidance, a pathway and exposure to necessary issues that transcend sport. You have handled yourself in a dignified and open manner and been an incredible leader. You are someone that we are privileged to have had (along with your family) represent the Red & White of NC State. This is your legacy at NC State, one that's really just been about planting the seeds and cultivating them for what is going to be a very big and exciting future.

Congrats again. So proud of you, Jaeda, and Go Pack!!