Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
Freshman Isabella Barretto has played primarily at the No. 2 singles position throughout the 2026 dual season.
Rocket Spotlight on Isabella Barretto
4/24/2026 9:06:00 AM | Women's Tennis
On finding relaxation through music, competing against her teammate for a championship and the correlation between tennis and volleyball
Isabella Barretto is a freshman on the women's tennis team from Rochester, Mich. A health sciences major, Barretto has been playing at the No. 1 doubles and No. 2 singles positions during her first season of collegiate tennis.
On how she began playing tennis
When I was younger, my parents encouraged me to try many different sports, so I started playing tennis around age 4. I was also playing soccer and gymnastics, but tennis was the one that stuck with me the most. I also played volleyball throughout middle school and the beginning of high school, and I competed in track during my sophomore year of high school. There were a lot of things I took from volleyball and was able to use in tennis and vice versa, but once I got into high school I chose to focus on tennis.
On what she learned from volleyball and track that help with her tennis game
The most valuable lesson I gained from playing volleyball was the importance of teamwork. Growing up playing tennis, it's a very individual sport, especially playing in junior tournaments where you're traveling by yourself. In volleyball, the sport forces you to come out of your shell a little bit and be loud to cheer on your teammates. I think that's something that really helped me when I got on campus. College tennis is a very team-centered sport, so having that background in volleyball helped make that switch easy.
On why she chose to play at Toledo
I actually played in a tournament at Twos Athletic Club. At the time, I was reaching out to several coaches and my dad suggested I contact Head Coach Tracy Mauntler. I sent Coach Mauntler my tournament schedule, and she came to watch me play and something clicked. She ended up showing me around the locker room and everything that Toledo has to offer both as a student and within the women's tennis program.
When I did my official visit on campus, there were so many aspects that I really liked about the university and the program. I really enjoyed hearing about how Coach Mauntler encourages everyone on the team to improve each day and wants to make sure that everyone leaves the program as a better player than when they came in. When it came to the university side, everyone was focused on helping me make sure that I was able to focus on the major (health sciences) that I wanted to do. When I met the athletic director (former AD Bryan Blair), he asked me what I wanted to study and not what I thought I had to do just because I was a student-athlete.
On why she is majoring in Health Sciences and plans to do in the future
I chose Health Sciences because I am interested in occupational therapy or athletic training. After shadowing at my dad's workplace a few summers ago, I realized I could see myself pursuing this career. With this career path, I could also stay involved in sports in the future, which is something I would really like to do.
On what it was like competing against teammate JJ Scholten in the MAC Individual Tennis Singles Championship
Competing against JJ was a bit of a weird experience. Every time we switched sides of the court, we would do our high-fives. It took a lot of pressure off of me, especially coming off a really long match I competed in before facing JJ. It was great though. I knew JJ would be a hard opponent to play against and the match would make both of us better in the long run. It was a lot of fun, and it was awesome to see that we were the last two standing in the singles competition.
On how the pressure she faced in the fall season is helping her during the dual spring season
I learned a lot in the fall, especially as I competed in a lot of third sets or long matches where I was able to push through and come out on top. This has helped a ton in the dual season and helped me grow as a person and an athlete.
On her favorite tennis memory
I played high school tennis during my senior season. I had a great time alongside my teammate, as we were both contenders for the state title in singles. The anticipation and preparation for those matches were a lot of fun, and it was even better to do it alongside her.
On her hobbies outside of school and tennis
I still play volleyball at the Rec Center with my teammates for fun. I also enjoy music and art. In high school, I played a lot of instruments, specifically piano and brass instruments, and I enjoy playing since it helps me relax. I have drawn since I was young and that's something that I enjoy doing as well.
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On how she began playing tennis
When I was younger, my parents encouraged me to try many different sports, so I started playing tennis around age 4. I was also playing soccer and gymnastics, but tennis was the one that stuck with me the most. I also played volleyball throughout middle school and the beginning of high school, and I competed in track during my sophomore year of high school. There were a lot of things I took from volleyball and was able to use in tennis and vice versa, but once I got into high school I chose to focus on tennis.
On what she learned from volleyball and track that help with her tennis game
The most valuable lesson I gained from playing volleyball was the importance of teamwork. Growing up playing tennis, it's a very individual sport, especially playing in junior tournaments where you're traveling by yourself. In volleyball, the sport forces you to come out of your shell a little bit and be loud to cheer on your teammates. I think that's something that really helped me when I got on campus. College tennis is a very team-centered sport, so having that background in volleyball helped make that switch easy.
On why she chose to play at Toledo
I actually played in a tournament at Twos Athletic Club. At the time, I was reaching out to several coaches and my dad suggested I contact Head Coach Tracy Mauntler. I sent Coach Mauntler my tournament schedule, and she came to watch me play and something clicked. She ended up showing me around the locker room and everything that Toledo has to offer both as a student and within the women's tennis program.
When I did my official visit on campus, there were so many aspects that I really liked about the university and the program. I really enjoyed hearing about how Coach Mauntler encourages everyone on the team to improve each day and wants to make sure that everyone leaves the program as a better player than when they came in. When it came to the university side, everyone was focused on helping me make sure that I was able to focus on the major (health sciences) that I wanted to do. When I met the athletic director (former AD Bryan Blair), he asked me what I wanted to study and not what I thought I had to do just because I was a student-athlete.
On why she is majoring in Health Sciences and plans to do in the future
I chose Health Sciences because I am interested in occupational therapy or athletic training. After shadowing at my dad's workplace a few summers ago, I realized I could see myself pursuing this career. With this career path, I could also stay involved in sports in the future, which is something I would really like to do.
On what it was like competing against teammate JJ Scholten in the MAC Individual Tennis Singles Championship
Competing against JJ was a bit of a weird experience. Every time we switched sides of the court, we would do our high-fives. It took a lot of pressure off of me, especially coming off a really long match I competed in before facing JJ. It was great though. I knew JJ would be a hard opponent to play against and the match would make both of us better in the long run. It was a lot of fun, and it was awesome to see that we were the last two standing in the singles competition.
On how the pressure she faced in the fall season is helping her during the dual spring season
I learned a lot in the fall, especially as I competed in a lot of third sets or long matches where I was able to push through and come out on top. This has helped a ton in the dual season and helped me grow as a person and an athlete.
On her favorite tennis memory
I played high school tennis during my senior season. I had a great time alongside my teammate, as we were both contenders for the state title in singles. The anticipation and preparation for those matches were a lot of fun, and it was even better to do it alongside her.
On her hobbies outside of school and tennis
I still play volleyball at the Rec Center with my teammates for fun. I also enjoy music and art. In high school, I played a lot of instruments, specifically piano and brass instruments, and I enjoy playing since it helps me relax. I have drawn since I was young and that's something that I enjoy doing as well.
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