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Donatella Guarnieri didn’t give it a second thought when University of Central Florida women’s coach Bryan Koniecko called the team into the locker room last month before a match. The junior walk-on assumed it was a normal team meeting to discuss the upcoming opponent.

Instead, Koniecko revealed he was giving Guarnieri a scholarship.

“It was a shock,” Guarnieri said. “Honestly, I didn't expect it at all.”

Once Guarnieri had time to process everything, the former UCF club team player called her parents and shared the good news.

“It felt amazing. I felt like all the work I'd put in for the past year all came together and paid off,” Guarnieri said. “I was more than happy to be there without a scholarship, but having it be announced in front of the team like that made me feel appreciated.”

Guarnieri was a four-star recruit in the 2022 class, but battled health issues during her junior and senior years of high school.

“I was obviously looking to play college tennis, but I just made the decision that it was best to probably go the academic route,” she said. “I was offered a full scholarship for my academics in every public school in Florida. I grew up in Orlando, so I knew I wanted to stay here, and UCF was always one of my top choices.”

Guarnieri decided to join the club tennis team during her freshman year at UCF. She won four tournaments and helped the team earn a bid to the 2023 Tennis on Campus National Championships.

“Maybe I didn't get the chance to go D1, but I think club was a great opportunity to continue my passion for tennis,” she said. “It's always been one of my greatest passions, so I definitely wanted to continue it, even if it wasn't at the D1 level.”

Guarnieri was the vice president of the club team and had plans to run for president until a call from Koniecko changed her plans. He told Guarnieri he needed some more players on the team, and she joined the Knights midway through the 2024 season.

“It was like everything was coming full circle,” she said. “I never expected it would go like this, but I think it's one of the biggest blessings.”

Guarnieri spent the summer working with Koniecko and UCF assistant coach Franscesca Di Lorenzo, and the scholarship helped validate the strides she made.

“I am just trying to get better each and every day,” she said. “I try not to set concrete goals. It’s more about having more good days than bad days on the court. Obviously, I want to just play my best tennis. I don't have plans of going pro like some of the other girls on the team, so I want to be the best college player I can be.”

An accounting major with a minor in sports business management, Guarnieri eventually wants to get her MBA in sports business.

“In the future, ideally I want to work either the USTA or ITA, just something tennis related,” said Guarnieri, a Big 12 Conference all-academic honoree. “I want to combine my accounting background with my sports, so I can do both things. That would be ideal.”

Although she’s no longer a member of the UCF club team, Guarnieri hasn’t left her former teammates behind.

“They come out to so many of our matches. I still keep in touch with everyone. I even go to their practices sometimes just to say hi to everyone,” she said. “ I'm still very close friends with them, like all my best friends are from club, so it's nice having them to support the entire team as well when we play matches.”

No matter what role she plays for the No. 17 Knights, Guarnieri won’t take her unexpected college career for granted.

“I'm very big on gratitude. That's helped me a lot in this past year, just being thankful each and every day,” she said. “I feel like so many people that I know, even in club tennis, would do anything to get the opportunity that I have. So I just try to take advantage of it each and every day and remind myself how lucky we are–like our entire team–to get a chance to do this.”

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About Rhiannon Potkey

Rhiannon Potkey is a veteran sportswriter with more than two decades of experience in journalism. Potkey has covered many sports at many levels and has a passion for finding great stories. Potkey has covered the U.S. Open, junior sectional and national events, college conference championships and Davis Cup matches. Potkey is currently Content Strategist for Tennis Recruiting. You can reach Rhiannon by email at [email protected].