Auburn senior Adeline Flach had a few choices when deciding where to play in college since she came from an SEC family, but when she came to Auburn, she just knew this was where she wanted to play.
Flach's father, Doug, played tennis at the University of Tennessee where he was an All-American and went on to compete professionally on the ATP tour, earning a career-high ranking of 108th in singles and 50th in doubles. Her uncle, Ken, also coached tennis at Vanderbilt University, so there was no shortage of tennis in her blood. Flach knew she had options, she just had to find where she wanted to play for herself.
"I think what first drew me to Auburn was just how it felt like home," said Flach. "When I took my visit and met the team at Auburn, it just felt like the right place to be. I took a lot of other visits, but Auburn just felt right. Being in the SEC was important for me since my dad played in it and my uncle coached in it."
After arriving on The Plains, Flach made an immediate impact on the team, posting a 15-11 record in both singles and doubles as a freshman. She remained a regular in both the singles and doubles lineup for the Tigers, recording over 130 combined victories during her collegiate career.
Throughout her four years at Auburn, Flach has had many amazing memories on and off the court, but one of her favorite memories came in Miami during her junior year in 2023. Auburn and Miami were tied with a trip to the NCAA Super Regional on the line with just one match remaining.
"I was able to clinch the match which was really fun," Flach remembered. "It was three all and it came down to me, so being able to pull that off for the team was awesome. I'll never forget that night for the rest of my life.
"It was even more fun because I clinched both doubles and singles. In doubles, we were down 5-2 and when it came down to us, we brought it all the way back to get the doubles point. Then it came down to me again in singles and I was like 'Oh my gosh, what is happening today?'"
After splitting the first two sets with Maya Tahan, The Alpharetta, Georgia native claimed the decisive third set to deliver the Tigers an NCAA Second Round victory and punch the fourth ticket to a Super Regional in program history.
Tigers storm the court in Miami 🌪️
— Auburn Women's Tennis (@AuburnWTennis) May 6, 2023
A look at the moment Adeline Flach sent Auburn to the supers 🎞️#WarEagle pic.twitter.com/mtdiR2vWZX
Tennis is a sport that Flach has always loved, but she did not realize it was the sport she was going to stick with until much later in life when she finally decided in high school.
"Growing up, my dad never pressured me to play tennis. He always wanted me to choose whatever sport I wanted to play. But I just fell in love with tennis at a young age and stuck with it. I did try a lot of different sports and tennis wasn't my main one that I went to until high school."
When asked about things she likes to do off the court, the Alpharetta, Georgia native said that she spends a lot of time with her teammates and studying with them at coffee shops. She did pick up a new responsibility during her final semester at Auburn, as she added another roommate.
"I adopted Joe-Joe," Flach said excitedly. "It's the best thing ever! We think it's a mix between a Jack Russell and toy fox terrier. I guess that he is going to be my new hobby now."
Flach is not exactly positive about what is next in her life between tennis and a career, but she knows for sure that tennis will always be there no matter what is planned for her in the future. Her interest in marine biology is something that started when she was young, and she can see that being a big part of her future and continued education.
"I want to stick around with tennis- I've been around it forever," said three-time SEC academic honor roll member. "I'm not sure what shape or form that is going to look like but I'm planning on attending graduate school. I might actually attend the University of Georgia for my master's in marine science. I would like to do conservation, specifically in the coastal area ecosystem.
"I didn't grow up near an ocean, but when I was younger we would go to the Georgia Aquarium for my birthday. I think that's where my passion for marine life began and I remember thinking that I wanted to work there. I need to go back there more but when I was younger, we were definitely regulars."
There are many things that Flach likes about Auburn, but one thing she is going to miss the most is something that only the student-athletes get to experience during their time.
"Honestly the thing that I'll probably miss the most is wellness," said Flach. "Getting their breakfast is so good and breakfast is my favorite meal. I go every single day and I am definitely going to miss that because now I am going to have to cook my own food."
When looking back at her time at Auburn, Flach realizes that every moment is special, no matter what the experience might have been. Her advice to newcomers is to enjoy even the little things.
"This is so cliche, but my advice is just to enjoy every moment," said the Auburn senior. "Now that it is coming to a close, it's like, man, even waking up at 8 a.m. for the individuals and being exhausted by the end of the day shows not to take anything for granted. Auburn treats its student-athletes so well and I have been blessed to play at a school that I got so much from.
"Something that Auburn really taught me was time management. I guess I didn't realize how much time it takes even to go to practice every day. There is so much that goes into something as simple as a team practice. It surprised me to realize how few hours are in a day to us, because there is a lot that needs to be done in one day."