It has been said that a picture is worth a thousand words. The picture that was being snapped by a multitude of cameras held by family and friends as South Williamsport tennis star Olivia Dorner officially signed her letter of intent to attend the University of Denver was one of those moments. For the soft-spoken Dorner, the occasion may have felt a bit awkward, but her smile reflected on the culmination of a truly remarkable personal accomplishment.

Just four days before the signing, Dorner capped off the most dominant high school tennis career District IV has ever seen by winning her second consecutive PIAA Class AA tennis championship with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Riverside’s Karissa Ghigiarelli. The victory was even sweeter for Dorner as it avenged the last match she had lost, that coming during her sophomore year to Ghigiarelli in the 2019 PIAA state final.

“I was really happy to win the gold medal and defeat Karissa. She is a really good player, and I knew the match was going to be tough. All of the matches we had played were really close, so going into the match, I was ready to play. It didn’t start out too good, getting down 3-0. I was very tense, but I told myself to relax. Then I just went out and played like I had been playing all season. From that point on, I played very well.”

That adversity was something Dorner had not experienced during her incredible four-year march through District IV tennis. Entering the season, she was the number four ranked player in the Middle Atlantic region, sported a 61-2 record, and became the only player in history to win four consecutive District IV singles titles.

Her accomplishments attracted the attention of numerous colleges. When it came time for a decision, her choice of the University of Denver may have surprised some, but it was a natural for Dorner.

“I went out for a visit and fell in love with the campus. I like the coaches a lot and the girls on the team. It is a great school, and all the girls on the team that I talked to loved it. Everything just felt right for me while I was there, so it really was a pretty easy decision to make. I am really excited to go to college and continue to play tennis.”

As Olivia describes it, “I played a little bit when I was younger, but I was also doing other sports and didn’t really begin to focus on tennis until about 12 or 13. It was then that I decided this was what I wanted to do and play the game full time. So, I began to get serious about the game and started training with my dad a lot. Since then, I have been practicing every day and working really hard.”

Olivia’s dad, John, who has been a driving force in his daughter’s development, is a United States tennis certified professional at the Central PA Tennis Center as well as Williamsport High School girls’ tennis coach. He was a college standout at Juniata College.

South Williamsport High School coach Theresa Summerson has enjoyed the four-year run she has shared with Dorner.

“She is a special player and person in so many ways. She possesses the awesome combination of work ethic and athleticism and has had the opportunity to use the Central Pennsylvania Tennis Center and having a dad who’s been very dedicated to her tennis career. She’s just someone who loves the game, so that’s a great combination to have. It’s been a great pleasure and privilege to have her on our team. Her athletic ability is phenomenal.”

But it has been hard work and drive that has allowed Olivia to reach the pinnacle of high school tennis, as her training regimen will attest.

“Each day, I’ll get up and eat breakfast and then go play for an hour and a half or two hours. Then, after I take care of schoolwork, I’ll work out for a couple more hours. I pretty much hit twice a day, either with my dad or some local guys around here, just practicing a lot. It is important for me to stay focused and keep the same mentality.”

Summerson’s high school assistant coach, Kent Young, a lifetime tennis devotee, attests to Dorner’s drive and dedication to the game.

“As a coach, you always love to see your players grow, not just as a player but as a person. Watching Olivia from ninth grade to where she is today, you could see a constant rise to getting better every time out. That is a testament to her perseverance, hard work, and dedication. Winning that second state title was a fitting way to conclude her high school tennis career, and it was so much fun to watch.”

Clad in a University of Denver t-shirt with her dad, John, and mother Jen Caris smiling by her side, Dorner had every right to acknowledge that all the hard work she has exhibited had indeed paid great dividends.

“I am really happy with everything I’ve done in my high school career. All those practices that I went through, this is the result I was trying to achieve. It wasn’t easy, but it is very satisfying and something I can look back upon with pride.”

Asked how she plans to fill her remaining high school days until graduation, her answer was not surprising, “I’ll be playing some tournaments, training, and getting ready for college next year.”

It has been a championship formula.