Rizzolo Plans To Take Talents From Tennis Court To Courtroom
April 15, 2024 | Women's Tennis
STARKVILLE – Maria Rizzolo wasn't exactly sure what was in store for her during her junior year at Mississippi State.
The Bulldogs brought in a brand-new coaching staff during the offseason that was brimming with new philosophies and drills as well as a whole other level of expectations and accountability. Rizzolo was admittedly apprehensive whenever Chris Hooshyar and his staff arrived, but met the move with an open mind and hasn't looked back since.
"In the beginning it was a big change because (the new coaches) were a lot more intense and practice was hard and everything had a purpose," Rizzolo said. "That was kind of different from last year, which was more relaxed. But I really like it because I like coaches that really push me because it just makes me want to be better and be better for them and the team. I really like them and their coaching style and their perspective on each match. It's always in a positive direction."
Rizzolo has flourished under MSU's new regime and the results back that up. She won nine singles matches during her sophomore season playing the three, four and five spots in the lineup. As a junior, she has played in the top two positions in the Bulldogs' lineup and currently leads the team with 14 victories.
But wins aren't the only areas that Rizzolo has blossomed on the court under the first-year coaching staff. She has also started to showcase some personality during her matches, which is quite a departure from her normally shy and stoic demeanor.
"Maria has grown a lot since the fall," said assistant coach Taylor Russo. "She has such an introverted personality that you don't really see how confident she can be because of how quiet she is. But she's grown so much and we're so proud of the way that she's really come out of her shell. You'll see her have a little fist-pump here and there and saying 'come on' a little bit. I think that shows her maturity level of being out of her comfort zone and really pushing herself to be the best version she can be."
Adjusting and adapting is not a new concept for Rizzolo. She spent her first year of college playing tennis at Minnesota. But the Palm Beach Gardens, Florida native decided following her freshman season in 2021-22 that she wanted to relocate somewhere warmer and closer to her rather large family.
Rizzolo made a few visits to schools in the South but when she stepped foot in Starkville, she knew MSU was where she was headed next.
"I kind of narrowed my choices down and when I visited here, I feel in love with the facilities and the people," Rizzolo said. "Just all around, the support staff was just so welcoming and like It already kind of felt like a homecoming here. And meeting all the girls on the team, it felt like a connection."
The bond she now shares with her teammates correlates to how she started playing tennis in the first place. Rizzolo is the youngest of six children that all grew up playing tennis competitively.
Her oldest sister, Kayla, took up the sport and springboarded it into a scholarship to Miami before finishing her career at William & Mary and USF. Her brother, Donato, soon followed suit and played collegiately at Mary Washington. Sisters Carlee (Nova Southeastern) and Kiana (Elon, Western Michigan) also played in college and helped pave the way for the youngest Rizzolo to follow in their footsteps.
"It was super interesting just because there's so many of us and when I started getting recruited, they kind of already knew my last name from my older siblings," Rizzolo said. "I felt like I had something to live up too, expectations I needed to exceed. But watching through them it kind of helped me because through their mistakes, I knew what not to do and I feel like it kind of just helped better in my performance."
Tennis isn't the only track Rizzolo plans to follow her older siblings. Gian Franco – the lone Rizzolo that did not play tennis beyond 14 – and sister Carlee are both lawyers and have inspired her to pursue a law degree as well. She plans to apply to law school in the fall and hopes to enroll when she graduates from MSU next year.
"It's just really great having these older siblings with all this experience that could help me because I'm going into the same path as they are," Rizzolo said. "I just like seeing both of my siblings and how much they help people. I want to help people who feel like they don't have a voice and can give them the opportunity to get help. I want to do that."
Another aspect that aided her along on her future path was the amount of time she has spent doing community service since she arrived at State. Much of Rizzolo's volunteer work has centered around children's charities in the Golden Triangle such as the Boys and Girls Club and Partnership Middle School.
She has also spent time and energy helping senior citizens in a local nursing home, aiding animals as the humane society, passing out food to the less fortunate and playing tennis with members of MSU's Access Program, which serves students with intellectual and developmental difficulties, among other charitable activities.
"What also helped me realize I wanted to go to law school was coming here and they make you do 15 hours of community service," Rizzolo said. "Just doing the community service helped me seal how I want to help my community and how I can do that by becoming a lawyer. When I first started doing it, I loved it and when I hit 15 hours, I wanted to keep doing it whenever I can cause I just want to help."
Fortunately for Mississippi State, Rizzolo will be around for another year to help on the tennis court before she moves on to the next phase of her life in the courtroom.
Players Mentioned
