Mountains draw Oosterbaan to tennis courts at Montana

The rugged beauty of the state of Montana is a powerful draw for people looking for an adventure, and it only took one day in Missoula for Olivia Oosterbaan to be convinced this was the place for her to pursue a family tradition of playing college tennis.

"I knew when I stepped on campus that I really loved it. I loved the whole university, the culture, the students, the whole team is awesome, so I'm just really excited," said the four-star recruit from Hinsdale Central High School outside of Chicago.

Not long after her visit, Grizzly women's tennis head coach Steve Ascher signed Oosterbaan (pronounced OH-ster-bahn) to a national letter of intent to become the first member of the incoming class of 2019, fulfilling her dream to playing top-level college tennis, and doing so "out west."

"I thought the tennis program was so awesome. The practice I watched was great, the coach is awesome, the team seems like a giant family, which is good to see," said Oosterbaan.

"I really thought it was a beautiful campus, obviously, and this is something completely new to me, a new adventure. I wanted to go out and see a new part of the country, so I'm really excited about that."

The three-time state champion comes to Missoula as the No. 10 ranked prep player in the Land of Lincoln and the No. 23 player in the Great Lakes Region with a Universal Tennis Ranking of nine and her highest national ranking climbing as high as 176 in June.

At Hinsdale Central, Oosterbaan won three Illinois state championships in 2015, 2017 and her senior year of 2018 when she served as team captain. She earned all-conference honors three-straight years her sophomore through senior seasons, as was the conference MVP as a junior.

Already boasting a resume as long as a racquet, Ascher sees Oosterbaan's potential as her biggest upside.

"Last year she was scratching the surface of national tournaments and got out and got some exposure on the national level. It seems like she really wanted to immerse herself into that track. That's what I love. I love she has a great internal drive," said Ascher.

Standing tall at 5-foot-10 with a serve to match, Oosterbaan says she "has tennis in her blood" with her father David playing at the University of Iowa and several cousins who have played at the D-I level.

"I also have a good forehand that I like to be aggressive with. I say I'm an all-court player, so I can rally, I can be aggressive, and I can be defensive," she added.

With plans to major in political science and law school potentially in her future, Oosterbaan has as many credentials in the classroom as she does on the court, making her a perfect fit for the high-achieving Grizzlies.

"She's driven athletically, she's driven academically, and she wants to get better as a player, so that's huge," said Ascher.

"I think she has good confidence and belief in herself coming in, so she has an opportunity to do some great things."

University of Montana Athletics

Mountains draw Oosterbaan to tennis courts at Montana

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