Sports Profile: Women’s Tennis Team Player Daniella O’Neill

From the Island of Puerto Rico to Liberty Mountain, Daniella O’Neill has gained many accolades as she plays for the Liberty University Women’s Tennis team. 

O’Neill picked up a tennis racket for the first time at five years old, ready to start beginner lessons at her family’s local country club. Despite being immersed into a variety of sports at a young age, O’Neill said her dad saw her spark truly come alive when she played tennis.  

The redshirt sophomore tennis player grew up in the beachside town of Dorado, Puerto Rico with a natural passion and an affinity for athletics. Her parents gave her the freedom to try multiple sports as a child, with her favorites being basketball and soccer. She naturally gravitated toward the comradery that came with team sports.  

“I’ve been more of a team sport girl since the beginning,” O’Neill said. 

So, when she experimented with tennis, she was hesitant at first. She said tennis can be an isolating sport, pitting one player against the other on the court. O’Neill said this discouraged her from the sport, but her dad saw her athletic potential and did not want her to give up.  

“It (tennis) was where he saw that my … athletic abilities looked best … and so I believed in that vision, and well, it paid off,” O’Neill said. 

Her father’s vision quickly became a reality as she continued to develop in the sport. In her junior career, she received many accolades, including ranking No. 1 in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, ranking No. 77 nationally in U18 in 2021 and being given the opportunity to represent Puerto Rico in junior tournaments, according to Liberty Athletics.  

During her debut into the collegiate tennis setting, her love and passion for the sport blossomed as did her career. During the summer of 2022, while O’Neill was in Liberty’s Women’s Tennis Summer Bridge Program, she received a life-changing call. It was from the women’s tennis coach for the Puerto Rican team, which would be representing the territory in the Billie Jean King Cup. The competition is highly acclaimed by female tennis players around the world who seek the opportunity to represent their country. The coaching staff was impressed by O’Neill’s statistics as well as her chemistry with the other girls on the team after a few test practices.  

O’Neill spoke highly of the experience, attributing the time she spent playing and competing to her growth as an athlete. 

“You play against girls who are also in college and who are also pros, usually who have dedicated their life to play professional tennis,” O’Neill said. “… And not only that, but learn from other teams and see what they do and how they can be that successful. … Even as a player for another country that does inspire you to get to that level even more.” 

O’Neill felt that it was an honor to represent her country through the sport she loves. 

“It’s a very cool tournament. You learn a lot. You get to represent your country, which is always an honor,” O’Neill said. “It was a great opportunity, and I loved it.” 

O’Neill’s opportunities to showcase her skills didn’t stop at the cup. After returning to the United States, she had her whole collegiate career with the Lady Flames ahead of her.   

During her redshirt freshman year at Liberty, she was honored as an Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Scholar Athlete. She also maintained a five-match victory streak as well as many high winning records with her doubles partner.  

In her second year at Liberty, she received her second award as an ITA Scholar Athlete and played another season alongside her teammates. She contributes her personal growth as an athlete as well as her mindset growth to the culture of the team at Liberty. 

“Being at Liberty has shown me the importance of actually fighting and giving everything you got from the very beginning to the last point,” O’Neill said.  “Because a tennis match is not decided until the last ball is played. So, anything can always happen, but (Liberty) definitely has taught me a lot about team culture.” 

During this year’s season, she was awarded Conference USA’s Women’s Tennis Athlete of the Month for the month of November. 

“Being recognized for the conference was an honor,” O’Neill said.  

O’Neill noted that one of her favorite moments during her time with the Lady Flames was their victory over Virginia Commonwealth University on Feb. 17, 2024. According to Liberty Athletics, this was Liberty’s first triumph over VCU in their five matchups.  

“I was able to turn it around, and (it) was the clinching match to beat VCU,” O’Neill said. “… I played almost a four-hour match. … That was a very cool moment.” 

Throughout her tennis career, she has remained grateful for her family’s support.  

“My family, obviously, is super important to me,” O’Neill said. “They’re not able to see all my matches in person; they always tune in. … It doesn’t matter what state I am in. They’re always finding a way to watch it online.”  

Her original concerns about not finding comradery in tennis were quelled by her supportive teammates at Liberty.  

“This is my first year as captain, … and so they (her teammates) have had to bear with me and trust in me. The first years of college tennis are tough to adapt to, but they have all have done a great job, and I’m very, very proud of them,” O’Neill said. 

As O’Neill continues her time as a Lady Flame, she remains committed to the goal of continuing the team’s success.  

“We’ll continue to keep practicing and give it our all every time we play to keep representing Liberty as best we can and make everyone proud,” O’Neill said. 

Stewart is a sports reporter for the Liberty Champion.