Prioritizing family, Paulik steps down as Rochester girls tennis coach

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

The following Rochester girls tennis players were recognized at the team’s awards night. From left – Savannah Wolters, co-most improved; Rylee Clevenger, co-MVP; Audrey Bolinger, co-Most Improved; Ella McCarter, co-MVP; Ellie Straeter, most promising; Sophie McCall, mental attitude. (photo provided by Holly Clevenger)

Adrian Paulik could not be a mom and the girls tennis coach at Rochester.

Being a mom to son Rayze, 3, and daughter Ripley, 1, is more important. So she resigned as the girls tennis coach after three seasons.

The Lady Zs went 12-5 in 2025 with the season ending with a loss to eventual champion Culver Academy in the sectional quarterfinals.

“Really it was just based around prioritizing my family,” Paulik said. “It’s just been challenging for both the kids to be shuffled around between family members’ houses for those three months or so, and I realized it just wasn’t fair to them.”

When Paulik was asked how difficult it is to balance motherhood with coaching, the first two words out of her mouth were “Oh gosh.”

She also praised the community support she received.

“It’s hard,” Paulik said. “It’s really hard. I am just very grateful, I guess, that we have the village that we have here in town to help us. You wake up, you go to your job, you coach, and then on nights you have matches, most of the time, I would get home and Ripley would already be sleeping. So I see her for an hour in the morning, and that was it. 

“So it’s hard. And I get that especially her, she’s so young, and she probably doesn’t realize it much yet, but just me too, as much as I shouldn’t feel guilty for any of it, I do, and it definitely takes a toll on you.”

Paulik’s replacement will have to replace four of the seven varsity spots due to graduation. No. 1 singles player Ella McCarter, No. 2 singles player Audrey Bolinger, No. 3 singles player Rylee Clevenger and No. 2 doubles player Sophie McCall all graduate.

Paulik was asked about watching players develop during her tenure.

“They were just incredible to watch,” Paulik said. “They’re just all-around good athletes. Going into it, I was working at The Learning Center before I was at the school, so I had somewhat of an idea of how athletic they were through all sports, but then I saw them on the tennis court, and it really showed. But that being Audrey’s first year, I was very impressed by her athleticism and how quickly she was able to catch on just in her first year.

“I know that Ella and Rylee played a year prior to me, but it was hard to really see from when they first started their freshman year because they are so athletic, so it’s almost like are you just this good because you are so athletic or are you this good because you’re willing to take constructive criticism and put your heart onto the courts and really want to learn? So just watching them transform from their sophomore year to senior year was just a joy to watch honestly. I think all of them should take pride in the improvements and advancements on the courts. They’re just all-around great girls in general, and I think even just being able to watch all the other girls look up to them as individuals, that was a huge part of the seasons as well. I was very grateful to be able to coach those three girls.”

Paulik said she has not ruled out a return to coaching someday. She said she is something of a late bloomer to tennis. Paulik, a 2013 Rochester grad, did not start playing until her sophomore year of high school.

“I hope that it is actually part of my future one day,” Paulik said. “I do have such a love for tennis. I started my sophomore year, so I got three years to play. I had the opportunity to play in college, and I didn’t take it, and somedays, I wish I would have, especially when I was out on the courts with those girls. So just being able to be out there and hit around again and just feel that love I have for it and be able to teach those girls some of those skills sets, it’s just a feeling I can’t describe, so yes, I hope one day coaching is part of my future.”

Paulik said that assistant coach Markis Smiley is also stepping down. Smiley is the father of her two children.

Rochester now has vacancies for both the boys tennis and girls tennis coaching positions. Mason Heyde stepped down from the boys tennis position last fall.

Athletic director Cal Stone told RTC in an email that it is “doubtful” that he would hire one person to fill both coaching positions.

Boys tennis practice begins statewide Aug. 4.