Temple University Athletics
Photo by: Zamani Feelings
The Wei Sisters: Finding a Little Slice of Home in Each Other
12.27.21 | Women's Tennis
During this holiday week Temple Athletics will share stories of siblings playing for their respective Owl teams. This is the second of a six-part series.
After a 9-2 season last spring, the Temple women's tennis team looks to move into a new year, planning to pick up right where they left off. With a new year, comes new faces, but one of those faces is quite familiar for sophomore returner, Evie Wei – her older sister, Jamie.
Jamie will join the Owls squad for the 2022 season after she spent her first three years as a Division I athlete with Stony Brook University where she was a standout member of the women's tennis team. She found major success right off the bat, recording a 20-6 singles record and 16-5 doubles record from the No. 1 spot in her first two years.
"Everything was great at my previous school, but I just really did not feel like I was my best self when I was there," Jamie said. "Even though I only had one year left, when Evie told me how great the team and the coaches were at Temple, I knew that it sounded like a great fit and it would give me the chance to spend my last year with my sister."
The Wei sisters grew up competing together, playing on the same team since the start of their tennis careers at a young age. Jamie, the eldest of the two started playing over 14 years ago and was quickly joined by her younger sister just a few years later.
"I actually played badminton first," Evie said. "But when I saw my older sister playing tennis, I knew I wanted to give it a try."
Both sisters fell in love with the game, and with their hard work and dedication, they found continued success throughout their young playing careers. With this steady advancement, the idea of playing after high school became a real thought, especially the idea of Division I tennis in the United States.
"I think when you are young, all athletes have the dream of playing professional one day," Jamie said. "But that is extremely hard, especially in a competitive international sport like tennis. Our mother actually gave us the idea of looking into playing tennis at the college level in the States because not only could we continue the sport we loved, but we could get a great education too."
It was at that point that the Jamie decided to prepare for this potential future in the United States, taking English classes and looking into what she wanted out of her education. That search eventually landed her at Stony Brook University for her first three years. For Evie, watching her sister go through this process solidified her desire to continue playing as well.
"When I watched my sister go to college, I knew that is what I wanted to do too," Evie said. "I love tennis, but I knew that I did not want to play tennis long after college, so getting an education at the same time was extremely important to me."
When Evie came across Temple University and the Temple women's tennis team, she immediately felt a connection.
"When I first talked to head coach Steve Mauro, he was great," Evie said. "Having a great coach was a huge part of finding the right place for me, because if I am going to be a part of a team for four years, I want to be sure that it is a great fit."
And a great fit it was, as Evie now considers Temple University and the Temple women's tennis team family. With the addition of Jamie to the team this year, that sense of family only grows stronger, and home feels a little bit closer, which is important for these two student-athletes.
For the Wei sisters, their childhood home isn't just right around the corner, or even across the country. Home is nearly 8,000 miles away in Chiayi, a city located in the Southwestern plains of Taiwan.
Aside from the sheer distance itself, the COVID-19 pandemic has proved to make trips home even more difficult so for the Wei sisters, being together makes a big difference.
"Ever since Jamie came to Temple this year, we have spent a lot of time together," Evie said. I think it is really good for both of us, because when you have real family on campus, it just makes you feel better, it's like a little piece of home."
As the spring season is set to kick off in January, the Wei sisters prepare for their first season of collegiate tennis together, and their first year back on the same team since 2017 in Taiwan. With this long-awaited moment, these two Owls are ready to help propel the Cherry and White to a successful 2022 season.
After a 9-2 season last spring, the Temple women's tennis team looks to move into a new year, planning to pick up right where they left off. With a new year, comes new faces, but one of those faces is quite familiar for sophomore returner, Evie Wei – her older sister, Jamie.
Jamie will join the Owls squad for the 2022 season after she spent her first three years as a Division I athlete with Stony Brook University where she was a standout member of the women's tennis team. She found major success right off the bat, recording a 20-6 singles record and 16-5 doubles record from the No. 1 spot in her first two years.
"Everything was great at my previous school, but I just really did not feel like I was my best self when I was there," Jamie said. "Even though I only had one year left, when Evie told me how great the team and the coaches were at Temple, I knew that it sounded like a great fit and it would give me the chance to spend my last year with my sister."
The Wei sisters grew up competing together, playing on the same team since the start of their tennis careers at a young age. Jamie, the eldest of the two started playing over 14 years ago and was quickly joined by her younger sister just a few years later.
"I actually played badminton first," Evie said. "But when I saw my older sister playing tennis, I knew I wanted to give it a try."
Both sisters fell in love with the game, and with their hard work and dedication, they found continued success throughout their young playing careers. With this steady advancement, the idea of playing after high school became a real thought, especially the idea of Division I tennis in the United States.
"I think when you are young, all athletes have the dream of playing professional one day," Jamie said. "But that is extremely hard, especially in a competitive international sport like tennis. Our mother actually gave us the idea of looking into playing tennis at the college level in the States because not only could we continue the sport we loved, but we could get a great education too."
It was at that point that the Jamie decided to prepare for this potential future in the United States, taking English classes and looking into what she wanted out of her education. That search eventually landed her at Stony Brook University for her first three years. For Evie, watching her sister go through this process solidified her desire to continue playing as well.
"When I watched my sister go to college, I knew that is what I wanted to do too," Evie said. "I love tennis, but I knew that I did not want to play tennis long after college, so getting an education at the same time was extremely important to me."
When Evie came across Temple University and the Temple women's tennis team, she immediately felt a connection.
"When I first talked to head coach Steve Mauro, he was great," Evie said. "Having a great coach was a huge part of finding the right place for me, because if I am going to be a part of a team for four years, I want to be sure that it is a great fit."
And a great fit it was, as Evie now considers Temple University and the Temple women's tennis team family. With the addition of Jamie to the team this year, that sense of family only grows stronger, and home feels a little bit closer, which is important for these two student-athletes.
For the Wei sisters, their childhood home isn't just right around the corner, or even across the country. Home is nearly 8,000 miles away in Chiayi, a city located in the Southwestern plains of Taiwan.
Aside from the sheer distance itself, the COVID-19 pandemic has proved to make trips home even more difficult so for the Wei sisters, being together makes a big difference.
"Ever since Jamie came to Temple this year, we have spent a lot of time together," Evie said. I think it is really good for both of us, because when you have real family on campus, it just makes you feel better, it's like a little piece of home."
As the spring season is set to kick off in January, the Wei sisters prepare for their first season of collegiate tennis together, and their first year back on the same team since 2017 in Taiwan. With this long-awaited moment, these two Owls are ready to help propel the Cherry and White to a successful 2022 season.
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
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