Samson part of a family of champions

A love of sports clearly runs in the family for senior tennis player Rachel Samson, and it extends beyond the courts. Playing tennis all her life and starting at Lehigh since her freshman year, Samson recently added the title of avid baseball fan, as any person would under her exciting circumstances: Samson’s brother, David, is team president of the 2003 World Champion Florida Marlins.

David, 36, began his successful career working at Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, then proceeded to establish News Travels Fast, an innovative company that distributed the New York Times around Europe. He got his start in baseball when he helped negotiate the sale of the Montreal Expos to Major League Baseball for Jeffrey Loria. When Loria then turned around and bought the Marlins, he brought David and his impressive resume aboard with him.

When the Marlins made their improbable run to the World Series last season, Rachel was able to get a first-hand view. Thanks to her big brother, Rachel got to see all of the World Series games played at Yankee Stadium, an easier commute for Rachel to make from Lehigh than Florida, plus she was interviewing for jobs at the time. As luck would have it, she was in the stands for Game Six, when the Marlins clinched, got to celebrate the win in the locker room after the game, catching a glimpse of the excitement and sheer adrenaline the players were experiencing.

After experiencing last year’s winning season, Rachel has now become hooked on baseball, the Marlins especially. She got to go to Opening Day in Miami already this year, as the Marlins begin another title quest.

Rachel is in the midst of a championship hunt of her own, as she is back on the tennis courts this season after taking off her junior season to study abroad in London. And she has picked up right where she left off, teaming with Kristen Nowicki, to post a career best 13-2 record in doubles. She has made her mark in singles play with a 7-2 mark going into the Patriot League tournament.

“This is the best team I’ve been on,” says Samson. “We all have a lot of fun together and hang out all the time, even off the courts.” With five new faces on the team this year, Samson adds, “Kristen Nowicki and I really had to step it up in a leadership role, but our freshmen have really grown and improved a lot.”

Rachel has put together some notable accomplishments in her time at Lehigh, starting her freshman year when she won the individual Patriot League singles championship. She blossomed from there, earning All-Patriot League honors her first two years in both singles and doubles.

With just a few more matches to play in her college career, Samson continues to perform at a top level. She and the team have been dominant at times this season, putting together two separate six-match win streaks and finishing second in the Patriot League regular season standings. Samson and the Mountain Hawks are the No. 2 seed in the upcoming Patriot League Tournament, and have a chance to win their first Patriot League title since she has been at Lehigh.

Ambitious like her brother, Samson already has employment lined up for after she graduates. Come the end of May, Samson will be moving to New York City and starting a job in the financial world just like her brother did, having accepted a junior analyst position with Huron Consulting.

But for now, she is concentrating on emulating her brother in another way – by bringing home a championship of her own.

Story by Tina Panagiotou, with contributions from Micah B. Hart, Lehigh Sports Media Relations.

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