One traveled over 4,000 miles to arrive at New York University. The other walked to campus.

Together, they formed a National Championship doubles duo. 

Carol Plakk, a native of Tallinn, Estonia, and Dakota Fordham, a lifelong New York City resident, combined to give NYU something it had never had...a national tennis doubles champion. Quite an accomplishment for a pair of freshmen.

"I was contacted by many schools around the country. But, this being my home, NYU was always the place I wanted to go honestly since birth," explained Fordham, who attends NYU's Gallatin School of Individualized Study. "It was where I wanted to be as far back as I can remember. I always walked around the campus and I loved it so much, the diversity, everything about it."

Plakk, who is enrolled in the Rory Meyers College of Nursing, also had New York City on her mnd.
 
"I always wanted to live in New York and I chose NYU for the great academics and the tennis team as well," Plakk said. "I considered several Division I schools, but I made an early application to NYU and was happy with my decision."

The two NYU newcomers had an impressive run to reach the ITA (Intercollegiate Tennis Association) Cup title match, coming from behind in the quarterfinals and winning in straight sets in the semis. The finals, which were held on October 16 in Rome, GA, pitted the Violet duo against opponents from the University of Chicago, another University Athletic Association (UAA) institution. In a tight match, the NYU duo defeated its Chicago counterparts 7-5, 6-7(5), 6-3 to claim the national doubles crown. 

"I've been doing this for a long time, and watching the two of them it was apparent to me that they were a notch or two above everyone else," said veteran Head Coach Horace Choy. "Heading into the ITA's they were winning and none of their matches were close. Without putting the jinx on them, I mean, I had a pretty good sense that they were going to do extremely well in regionals and then at nationals."

Fordham and Plakk qualified for the national championship after winning the ITA Northeast Regionals. In addition to automatically qualifying them for nationals, it also earned them the distinction of All-Americans. 

"When we went to regionals I had a really good feeling about making it to nationals because we have a really great energy on the court," Plakk revealed. "We read each other well. I didn't expect to win the whole thing, but I had a good feeling."

The ultimate road to uniting this pair not only faced the distance factor, but the name factor as well.

"Because of my name, I have been asked many times if I considered attending Fordham University," said Fordham, who attended Laurel Springs School online before enrolling at NYU. "My aunt actually did attend Fordham, but she's on my mother's side and that was before my mom met my dad. So, there's no real connection and I did not consider going there."

Both Violets also played singles at the regional and national championships, actually facing each other in the regional finals. Plakk won the first set 7-5 and Fordham led the second 4-1 when Plakk was forced to retire.

"I started cramping. I couldn't take one step anymore, so I retired," Plakk revealed. 

So, who would have won if the match had been completed?

"I guess it was 50-50," both ladies chimed in.    

That temporary setback did not stop Plakk from continuing onto the regional doubles final. 

"I took some time to rest. The singles matches were kind of right after each other and I had some long matches that week so I needed to stop," Plakk said. "Doubles is different because you don't have to move so much."

So, the pair went on to win the regional doubles title, Fordham was crowned ITA Regional Singles Champion and the duo moved on to the national championships. Again, both players competed in singles. Fordham finished fifth in the 16-player field and Plakk advanced to the semifinals, but again had to forfeit her match.

"Health-wise it was a pretty bad week," Plakk recalled. "I got pink eye and I also was sick with a cold."

But, again, she trooped on to the doubles competition...and the duo delivered. 

"Of course I was not expecting any of this success. I just wanted to be out on the court and have a good time and do the best I could for the team," Fordham said. "I am just enjoying my NYU experience very, very much. I'm attending Gallatin, so I choose every class that I've taken so far and I'm enjoying all of them. The  work is incredible. It's challenging to mix academics with tennis. But, I love it and am very much up for the challenge."

Despite the momentary health setbacks and missed opportunities on the court, Plakk is firmly entrenched in the NYU scene.

"It was a little difficult to adjust in the beginning because I come from a very small country and New York is kind of loud and everything. So, yeah, It took some time to get used to it. But, now I really love it so," Plakk said. "My goal is to be an orthopedic surgeon. Here I get to study what I want, and I always wanted to study medicine."

The perfect fit seems to have developed with Fordham (a lefty) and Plakk (a righty) having formed the ideal combination on the court while developing their skills individually off the court as well.  

"I call them 'The Wonder Twins'. Carol is very consistent and Dakota has a lot of power," Choy explained. "I've been doing this for a long time and I don't think you have to be a rocket scientist to see them play and say that they're setting themselves apart from everyone else.

"If they take care of their own game, then there's not much they really have to worry about and there's not much sometimes that their opponents can do about it," Choy concluded.

With their collegiate careers still in the embryotic stage, there's still plenty of time for the 'Wonder Twins' to prove their coach a prophet