Winning seems to run through the veins of members of the Pepperdine Women’s Tennis Team. For Nikki Redelijk, Pepperdine women’s tennis alumna (‘24), winning was common on the court and in the classroom.
In May, Redelijk was in Stillwater, Oklahoma playing in the 2024 NCAA Tennis Championship tournament when she found out she was the 2023-24 West Coast Conference’s Mike Gilleran Scholar-Athlete of the Year, an award selected by a vote of the WCC’s Executive Council to recognize a student-athlete who has completed their collegiate eligibility and thrived at the highest level in athletics, academics and community service, according to WCC Sports.
Performing at the highest level academically and athletically is the culture that existed when Redelijk joined the team and will continue long after she is gone, she said.
“I think it just goes back to you’re only as good as who you surround yourself with,” Redelijk said. “I think my team was really amazing.”
Previous Pepperdine teammates showed her that reaching for the stars on and off the court was possible, she said. Redelijk carried out the high-achieving culture, and she is now an inspiration for younger student-athletes, said Vivian Yang, sophomore women’s tennis player.
Past: Previous Teammates Inspire Redelijk
Pepperdine student-athletes have a positive record for succeeding by the measures of the scoreboard and in the grade book. Redelijk is the 11th Wave in university history to win the West Coast Conference’s Mike Gilleran Scholar-Athlete of the Year, according to Pepperdine University Athletics.
One of those other 10 is Ashley Lahey, women’s tennis alumna (’20), who was a senior when Redelijk was a freshman, she said.
“I remember seeing her get the award, and I thought, ‘Wow! That’s very cool,'” Redelijk said. “It wasn’t something that was I necessarily aware of, but it showed me that my aspirations were possible.”
On top of performing academically, Lahey was the first Pepperdine women’s tennis player to go to the NCAA Singles Championship, finishing as runner-up as a sophomore, and was ranked #1 in Intercollegiate Tennis Association singles for the entirety of her senior season, according to Pepperdine University Athletics.
“I remember speaking with Ashley on my recruiting visit,” Redelijk said. “She was already on that track of pushing yourself athletically and academically, and I kind of really took to that and saw that it was possible.”
Redelijk soaked in this work-ethic from Lahey and her other teammates, which gave her the confidence to soar on her own, she said.
Present: Redelijk Continues the Winning Culture
Redelijk had some big shoes to fill with Lahey as her teammate, and her stats prove that she did just that.
This past season she played at the fourth and fifth singles positions for Pepperdine’s team, and helped them go 21-7. On top of being awarded the conference academic-athletic award, Redelijk was recognized by her own peers and staff as Pepperdine’s 2024 Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year, according to Pepperdine University Athletics.
Another component of the WCC Mike Gilleran Scholar-Athlete of the Year is community service. Redelijk said she was a part of the Waves Leadership Council which presented her with one of her favorite volunteer memories of her collegiate career, an outdoor sport experience for local children.
The Tiny Tots Olympic Games at the Malibu Bluffs Park provides local kids the opportunity to get outside, play games and spend time with colligate athletes.
“There’s a running section, a frisbee section and a ring toss game which I thought was so cute and special,” Redelijk said. “I love having a hand in making the kids have fun.”
With Redelijk’s collegiate career said and done, she is continuing to play tennis at a club level.
“As long as I am healthy and enjoying it, I will keep playing,” Redelijk said.
Redelijk said she plans to attend law school when she is done with her tennis career. She graduated from Pepperdine Summa Cum Laude in 2024 with degrees in political science and economics.
Future: Redelijk Inspires the Next Generation
Redelijk said it was a full circle moment when she became a leader for freshman athletes.
Yang was doubles partners with Redelijk in the NCAA Women’s Tennis Championship and said it was amazing to play alongside her role model.
“I was so nervous, but it’s so fun being alongside your teammate and going through nerve-racking moments on and off the court,” Yang said. “Having Nikki alongside me on the stage is so special.”
![Yang [second from the left] and Redelijk [third from the left] pose after winning the 2024 WCC Women's Tennis Championship on April 27. Yang and Redelijk won in No. 2 doubles position to clinch doubles points for the team. Photo courtesy of Nikki Redelijk](https://pepperdine-graphic.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/vivnikki.jpeg)
The moments where Redelijk created a winning mindset were not just at practice, Yang said.
“We would study together or go for a run together during our free time,” Yang said. “It may seem insignificant, but those daily things and habits add up and excellent performance doesn’t necessarily come from only athletic training, but rather the good habits we establish every day.”
Yang said Redelijk was an inspiration in all angles of her life.
“Nikki is one of those annoying people who not only is very smart in the first place, but also works super super hard, so it feels like dumb people like us don’t have a shot at competing with her in the classroom,” Yang said. “For tennis, she is super locked in, and the moment she steps in the locker room, she’s got her game face on.”
Redelijk believes Yang could be up for the award three years from now.
“She’s super special and it was so much fun, you know, not only getting to play with her but also just getting to know her and having her as a teammate,” Redelijk said. “I’m honestly very excited to see what she does these next few years.”
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Contact Emma Martinez via email: emma.martinez@pepperdine.edu or by Instagram: @emma.martinez17
