SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: MCKENNA KOENIG
April 19, 2025 | Women's Tennis
After spending four seasons at USC, McKenna Koenig decided to spend her last year of collegiate eligibility at Washington.
At UW, Koenig has played alongside partners Catherine Gagnon and Carina Syrtveit at No. 3 doubles while also putting in work at No. 4 singles.
The UW athletic department sat down with Koenig ahead of the final college matches to reflect back on her time as a Husky, plans for after college, and some of the best memories of her career.
Head Coach Robin Stephenson on the senior class:
"Soph and Kenny have come into our program and made an incredible impact in such a short time. They both prove that it's not always about the length of time you put into something that makes the biggest impact, but it's the amount of yourself that you give each and every day and what you pour into the people around you. I am a firm believer that what you put in, is what you will get out, and I know that they have both poured their heart and soul into what we are doing everyday. This program is better because of Soph and Kenny, and their impact will be long remembered.
"I am eternally grateful that they both chose to spend their senior years here at UW, and we are so fortunate to have had this time together. It has been the ultimate privilege to coach them in their final year of college tennis. They have pushed the program to new heights, they have led by example, created countless moments and memories, built relationships that will last a lifetime, have been so incredibly consistent in their practices and the day to day, they have continued to bring in the results for the team on match days, they have excelled in the classroom, have brought incredible energy, so much experience, they've brought vulnerability and openness, and have brought so much laughter and joy to every situation.
"We are going to miss them both so much, but for now we will enjoy the rest of this ride we are on together and finish the season strong. Soph and Kenny are incredibly special individuals and I can't wait to see what they both go on and do in their next chapters. Saying I am proud of them both for so many things is an understatement. I hope they know they will always have a home here in Seattle with us!"
Why UW? What brought you here for your last season?
"I went to USC for four years for my undergrad. My fifth year, I was honestly just looking for something different. What made me commit to UW was the people. I got along with Robin and Dani really well; they were the ones who were on my visit with me.
I could just tell that UW was a really special place because everybody who I met on my visit was so warm and welcoming. You could just tell that everyone there was just happy to be involved in some way with tennis, and that was something that I didn't have. I thought that was really cool.
Honestly, I was just looking to go somewhere where everything wasn't revolved around tennis, 24/7, especially with my last year. I'm transitioning into a new chapter of my life, and I'm not gonna have tennis every day. So I wanted to grow not only as a tennis player, but also as a person and that was something Robin really emphasized. So that was definitely something that stood out to me the most."
What are you getting a degree in and how do you plan to use that degree once you graduate?
"UW has a really great master's program in entrepreneurship, so that was what I wanted to pursue. I really love the program. It's a small cohort, so you really get to know everyone in the classrooms. The professors are awesome and everyone really wants to be there, which makes everything so much more motivating.
I think after I graduate I want to work for a startup. Something smaller, not really a big company. Something in maybe marketing or medical sales, or just sales in general, honestly. Working for a startup is something that I really wanna do – there's a lot of growth there and a lot of potential."
How has being a Husky helped shape and influence your future?
"Coming in initially, I definitely felt like an outsider just because I didn't know UW very well and I didn't know Seattle. I really didn't know anybody coming into this program, tennis-wise, and academically, and so I just felt like an outsider.
This helped me go out of my comfort zone and really put myself out there in ways that I would never have to do previously and so I think it's all about just accepting being uncomfortable and learning from those situations.
Entrepreneurship is all about networking and selling yourself and how you can get your foot in the door in the best way. I didn't have a lot of those opportunities, especially during undergrad. I was just sitting back and being a little bit more quiet, but now I feel like I can really put myself out there and get what I want and just go for it. I think I've definitely grown in that aspect."
Hilarious. Fearless. Adventurous. Thoughtful.
— Washington Women's Tennis (@UW_WTennis) April 19, 2025
McKenna Koenig, you are truly one of a kind ??#BetterTogether pic.twitter.com/bPxHoXxIko
What is the team culture like?
"Everyone gets along really well. We all have very different personalities – very different backgrounds. We've all grown up in different ways, but at the same time, we're all very similar.
It's really great because we all have the same goals within the team. We obviously want to win, but also we want to win for each other, most importantly. I think that's something that a lot of teams don't have, which is honestly really great.
Everything's not about tennis all the time. I think that's really important, cause I think a lot of people think since you're on a sports team that's all you guys talk about, and it's all you guys can relate with. But it's not like that.
We all come from very different backgrounds and so bringing us together really shows our differences, but we're also very similar at the same time."
What has it been like playing for Robin?
"Honestly the best decision I've ever made in my life because I know that she cares so, so, so much about the team. With her, it's not about winning or losing, it's never that black and white. It's all about growth and working really hard.
"She just really looks beyond her sport. It's crazy because a lot of top programs are very much results-based. We are a top program, but I never feel like it's results-based. It's never that black and white.
So yeah, honestly, the best decision I've ever made."
Is there a moment with Robin that stood out to you this year?
"Yeah, there's been a lot of moments. We're always laughing, we're always joking around. I never feel like things are too serious. I look at all of the coaches more so as my friends and I know I can talk to them about anything and I will never get judged for anything.
I wanna say the best moment I've had was on my official visit here, Robin took me out on her boat and I was like, 'yeah I'm coming here. Enough said, just sign the papers.' But yeah, that was really fun and honestly every time we get to travel, we're always doing something fun, we're always getting coffee with each other, we're going out to dinner, we're sightseeing campuses or going around the city.
I think another favorite part of mine was when we went to Chicago, and we got to walk around the city – we went to the Bean and Ghirardelli. We're always doing things together and it's so much fun."
Do you have a favorite place that you've traveled to for tennis?
"Hawaii was definitely nice. We were there for five days. We played Hawaii and then just practiced every day, went to the beach, went to really nice dinners. It was a lot of fun.
I think in Big Ten travel, I would probably say Northwestern and Illinois were my favorites, just because we got to see Chicago and I had never been to the city before. We made the most out of our trip."
What has been your favorite moment as a Husky, outside of the team, or just a favorite memory of being in Seattle?
"Any chance I get to just go out in the city and explore a little bit. What's funny is I used to live here in Seattle for one year, and I had the worst experience ever. I was in eighth grade, it was horrible. I didn't appreciate the city at all, maybe just because it was an awkward time in my life. So when I came back, I really didn't know what to expect.
I was kind of expecting the same thing. I was just telling myself, you know, I'll only be here for a year and then after a year I'll be out of here and I'll never come back again. But I had a completely different perspective on it this time.
I can really appreciate how beautiful Seattle is and the people are so, so, so friendly and nice here. I have a lot of respect for anyone that has lived here. I've had a really different appreciation for this city and any chance I get to explore it is something that I just love to do.
It's great because I explore it with my friends and those friends are my teammates. It's a lot of fun. It's something that I've never had the chance to do before so it's different nowadays.
I'm from Arizona, so obviously this is a big change for me. I'm looking outside right now, and it's just such a nice place to be. Before coming here I was very much like, 'I'm never gonna come back to Seattle again, I'll just be there for a year.' But now I'd come here literally any time of the year."
What will you miss most about college tennis?
"I can't say there's one thing that I will miss the most, but I just like looking back on my entire tennis career from the very start, back to when I first picked up a racket.
I could confidently say that college tennis is where I was the happiest, tennis-wise. I wake up every day and I'm excited to go to practice and I'm excited to work and I'm excited to compete and that was something I never, ever had before.
So, yeah, I was just really happy and I think it's because of the people. You're not working for yourself, you're working for others and you're achieving things together. Everything in college tennis is about being together and being united, and you're not out there on your own. You never are. So I think you're honestly just competing for something bigger than yourself.
It's crazy to think that it's over. I'm really gonna miss it."
