Fox Chapel grad to take lessons learned at Marines leadership course back to Bloomsburg tennis team

Fox Chapel graduate Lexi Quackenbush volunteered for an intense, six-week lesson on what it means to be a good teammate — the Platoon Leaders Class with the Marine Corps in Quantico, Va., this summer.

She hopes to take some of those lessons back with her to Bloomsburg University, where she competes on the women’s tennis team.

“We learned how to work together and how important it is that everyone pulls their own weight to accomplish a goal,” Quackenbush said. “If you didn’t, you got screamed at or had to do something stupid as a punishment for it.”

The six-week course, which is designed for college freshmen and sophomores who are interested in pursuing a spot in Officer Candidate School, was perfect for Quackenbush, who wants to pursue a career in law enforcement.

Days at the PLC featured activities that stretched from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. Most nights Quackenbush said she only got three or four hours of sleep.

Despite the grueling nature of the class, Quackenbush was able to tough it out and make it through the course. It wasn’t something that everyone who started the class could say. The group started with 42 girls, but there were only 26 left at the end of the six weeks.

“I thought it was crazy,” Quackenbush said. “I was proud of myself that I was able to finish. There were a lot of people that couldn’t keep up or decided it wasn’t for them.”

Quackenbush has made a habit of challenging herself at Bloomsburg. Last season, Quackenbush played 13 matches as the No. 1 singles player for the Huskies as a sophomore. She compiled a 5-8 record at the No. 1 spot and 5-9 overall.

Quackenbush was also part of a successful doubles team with Luana Bernardi. They had the top doubles record of 6-5 during the season and were 4-1 in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference play.

Quackenbush said her serve has translated well to the college level.

“A lot of girls can’t hit a kick serve,” Quackenbush said. “That’s been the one thing. Most girls can’t hit that shot and don’t know how to return it. It’s even better in doubles because it goes out wider.”

Quackenbush played one year on Fox Chapel’s high school team. Despite not playing during the high school season, Quackenbush trained at the Rashid Hassan Tennis Center in Murrysville and played in tournaments to maintain her ranking.

“I’m hoping I can maintain where I’ve been,” Quackenbush said. “We have good freshmen coming in.”

Quackenbush is excited for the challenge. She enjoys the camaraderie that comes with being part of a team.

College life is a little easier when you have someone to help pick you up.

“Even though I may lose, my team can still win,” Quackenbush said. “I want to compete hard and fight hard for my teammates. When everyone is cheering each other on, it makes them want to fight hard too.”