Change: The Story of Blaise Casselbury's Journey at Delaware

Change. It's a common occurrence during one's college years.

The amount of change that Blaise Casselbury has been through takes that statement to another level. Casselbury has seen a lot of change, inspired a lot of change and changed a lot as a person.

Drawn to the gorgeous campus, proximity to his hometown and wide-range of academic opportunities, Casselbury knew that the University of Delaware was a perfect fit for him.

On top of it all? The tennis program was just what he was looking for.

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"After really looking at the school and seeing all it had to offer, as well as getting to know the tennis program, it really was a perfect fit for me," Casselbury said.

As Casselbury and his teammates enter this weekend's CAA Tournament, it's hard for him to put into words what this experience and his time at Delaware has meant to him.

A finance major from Lititz, Pennsylvania, he's one of only two seniors on this year's squad. His leadership and work ethic have played an integral role on the program's recent upswing of success. He's the team active leader by a landslide in career victories (total), singles matches played (total) and doubles victories (total).

But it's his leadership that has proven critical during his time on campus.

During his career, he's had three different head coaches, and stretches between when things can be up in the air. He and his teammates stepped up, putting together practice plans, and building a culture that supported each other and pushed each other to grow as a team and individually.

"My whole time here has been an incredible learning experience for me. Our team has really bonded together, we've gotten closer, we've pushed each other, we've all become better through it all," Casselbury said.

Perhaps nothing shows his leadership more than the fact that he's been named team captain for three-straight years, a rarity at the collegiate level.

"It almost fell into my lap as a sophomore and I knew I had a choice to step up or let it pass by," Casselbury said. "I'm appreciative of the opportunity and don't take my role as a captain lightly."

Throughout the trial-and-error process, Blaise has learned several life skills.

"It's not always about winning," he said. "You learn a lot more lessons from your losses… keep your head up – if you keep staying positive, great things are going to come your way."

Greatthings certainly have come the Blue Hen's way – shortly after the addition of Coach Montana, the team had one of their most winningest seasons in the program's past twenty-plus years. As in most cases, the newfound culture of success strengthened the team internally.

According to Blaise, "having that mindset is huge, especially when it comes to winning close matches that guys maybe wouldn't have won a few years ago… They have that fire that they want to win for the team."

Regarding his most memorable moments as a Blue Hen, Blaise recalled that his favorite memories came off the court, while the team traveled to various matches. He specifically enjoyed the team's recent spring break training trip to Arizona, where they were able to be with one another "full-time," getting every meal as a group, playing matches against new opponents and simply just hanging out.

With the last weeks of collegiate competition quickly approaching, Blaise feels bittersweet. When asked about what he would like his "legacy" to be following graduation, he humbly responded, "I don't know if they want to learn anything from me."

Although he does not quite recognize his impact on the team – or is simply too humble to admit it – Blaise is confident that he will be remembered for "being a good friend to everyone on the team", having spent time building a relationship with most of his teammates over the past four years.

Blaise's exact plans following graduation in just a handful of weeks are unknown. He is excited to spend time with family, and take much-needed time off to explore the world. While he plans on continuing to play the game that he has for the past fifteen years, he realizes that this is his last time competing at this level.

"For me, this University and these experiences have prepared me for whatever is next in life and that's all you can ask for when you come to college," Casselbury said.

University of Delaware Athletics

Change: The Story of Blaise Casselbury's Journey at Delaware

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