By the age of 14, Rosie Sterk had already represented her home country of Scotland in tennis, basketball, and badminton.

By the age of 16, she qualified to represent the entire United Kingdom at the WTA Future Stars tennis tournament in Shenzhen, China, where she took second place.

There she won the Li Na Inspiration Award, given to the player who shows determination, commitment, good sportsmanship, empathy, respect, team spirit, and courage.

She also captained her tennis team at Wallace High School to the 2019 Scottish Schools Championship and won a “Road to Wimbledon” doubles tournament.

Now she’s ready for the next challenge.

With the goal of one day playing on the WTA Tour, Sterk has taken the next step in her extensive tennis journey, signing an NLI to play for the University of Montana women’s tennis team.

While she has the on-court resume of a future professional, as a recipient of the Presidential Leadership Scholarship from Montana’s Davidson Honors College and a plan to major in finance, she also has the academic chops to do great things outside of tennis.

“Rosie is not only really talented, but she’s also very driven,” said head coach Steve Ascher.

“She’s interested in everything and does things that show a lot of maturity. So, I think she’s going to come in here, and she’ll be hungry, ready to get to work.”

Sterk comes to Missoula from her hometown of Bridge of Allan, situated about halfway between Edinburgh and Glasgow on the River Forth, with a clear vision of what she wanted in her American college tennis experience.

“I wanted a medium-size school with a nice atmosphere and community around it, and I feel like I found the perfect school in Montana,” said Sterk.

She also knew what she wanted in a coach and how that coach would help her develop into the best player she could possibly be. She found that in Ascher and says she’s excited for the development process to begin.

“He and I got on really well the first time we met. We both have a huge apatite to learn, which is really nice,” Sterk added.

“I think I still have so much to learn, but to me, that means I still have so much more to give. So, I’m really excited about going to Montana and developing and improving. That’s my main goal.”

On the court, Sterk has found success by mixing up her aggressive game, employing a big serve with a strong forehand and a solid slice and volley.

For Ascher, it’s just the type of profile that he thinks will lead to success in the Big Sky Conference.

“She’s athletic, has a nice serve, and has some variety in her game. That athleticism will allow her to play an all-court game, which is good because we play indoor most of the time,” says Ascher.

“So, I think it will be exciting how she grows. If she develops how I think she can, we don’t even need to put a ceiling on her. She’s going to be great.”