Playing Doubles

As a third-year mechanical engineering major and a Division I student-athlete for the women’s tennis team at the University of California, Davis, Kaia Wolfe has learned to believe in herself, never back down from an obstacle and prioritize learning and building skills that give an advantage.

“I just want to be the best person I can be and produce the best results either on the court or academically,” said Wolfe. “Mechanical engineering is just as much a technical field as the sport of tennis.”

As Wolfe pursues dreams of working at NASA and serving aces at tournaments like the ITA Northwest Regional and the Big West Women’s Tennis Championship this season, both parts of her life weave together, fueling her drive and passion for greatness in sports and academics.

Early Inspiration to Hands-On Education 

Wolfe was only 9 years old when she first dreamed of being an engineer. “When I was little, the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory [or JPL] was not too far from where I lived. I remember JPL had a ton of open houses, and anyone could come in and play with the rovers and see all their instrumentation firsthand. Ever since then, it just stuck with me, and I knew that was something I wanted to do later in life."

The environment in which Wolfe grew up was very pro-science. Not only was visiting other science museums and open houses like the Discovery Cube — a children’s science center in Santa Ana, California — a frequent weekend trip, but most of her family members were also engineers. Her early exposure to STEM influenced her path to mechanical engineering.

Setting out to master computer-aided design, or CAD, an essential skill in mechanical engineering, Wolfe joined the lab of Anh-Vu Pham, a professor of electrical and computer engineering. Wolfe was responsible for using CAD to render electrical circuit boards and protective casing into a 3D model, efforts that supported the research of the lab’s Ph.D. students.

“What I learned there was a lot about how to communicate and how to adjust to other people’s schedules and accommodate their needs because Ph.D. students have rigorous deadlines,” said Wolfe.

For Wolfe, the time management and interpersonal skills she learned in Professor Pham’s lab were transferable to her 2024 summer internship with JPL — the same place she had played with rovers as a child.

As an infrared laser aeronautics intern, Wolfe supported NASA physicist Dr. Sarath Gunapala’s Instrument Incubator Program project to create a compact infrared imager. Wolfe devised a detailed, solid 3D CAD model of a proposed instrument called the Compact Fire Infrared Radiance Spectral Tracker, or c-FIRST. These physical models were used for realistic visualization and showcasing the impacts of wildfires on ecosystems from space.

“My younger self would absolutely be so proud and probably not believe that I was able to intern with JPL because it’s so competitive and the work they do is so new,” said Wolfe. “We still have yet to discover so much about space.”

Having Space for Tennis

Wolfe was introduced to tennis by her mom at age 7. She started playing competitively at 10 years old. While attending San Juan Hills High School, she ranked in the top 20 in the nation, was credited as a five-star recruit, and was ranked No. 1 in Southern California for singles, doubles and mixed doubles simultaneously throughout her high school career.

Wanting the best of both the sports and studies worlds, Wolfe chose UC Davis for its rising stats in supporting women and minorities in STEM and for the sparks of a found family she felt after meeting the UC Davis Athletics coaches and players.

Wolfe ended her first season with an 8-11 record in singles competition. Last year, she competed in 15 singles matches and clinched a capital win for UC Davis versus a major sports rival, California State University, Sacramento.

This season, which began in October and ends with the Big West Women’s Tennis Championship on April 27, has been her best yet for doubles; she has eight wins under her belt with teammate Claire Galerkin for doubles matches. This includes a six-match win streak, beating schools like Washington State in the Pac-12 Conference and Stanford in the Atlantic Coast Conference. (While Wolfe plays both singles and doubles, she calls doubles her first love of the sport.)

“It’s been a roller coaster this season because half our team is new. We have a new head coach, a new assistant coach, a new weights coach and five new players,” said Wolfe. “Everything is brand new, but it’s exciting because everyone is so fresh; the motivation and determination are very strong. We all have the same strong desire to perform and win for us and for the university.”

Wolfe aims to reach and dominate the Big West Women’s Tennis Championship. She has two more conference matches versus Long Beach State and UC Riverside to determine her and her team’s placement in the championship.

“I’m nervous, but it’s so exciting. The team dynamic of collegiate tennis, despite the individualistic nature of the sport, is so uplifting and inspiring. I’m just glad to experience and share the championship matches with all the other girls,” said Wolfe. “We win and we lose as a team, and that’s so important.”

Even though she wouldn’t call herself superstitious, Wolfe wears different socks when on the court, and before starting a match, she listens to upbeat songs (mainly EDM) like “Shiver” by John Summit to get pumped up and ready to play.

Hitting a Balance

Wolfe credits tennis for why she believes having a supportive team is important for academics. In both of her worlds, Wolfe has tutors, advisors, mentors, teammates and classmates who help hone her skills and succeed, offering crucial support to secure her future goals, whether it be to work at NASA or serve up a win at the next tennis match.

“Engineering and tennis are pretty hardcore, so being able to find that comfort and support from professors, coaches and TAs is very encouraging,” added Wolfe. “A lot more people want to see you succeed than you think.”