Meet Maryland’s Newest Star: Kallista Liu

The University of Maryland is a bastion of in-state talent.

Littered with multiple local five-star athletes choosing the flagship school, the Maryland athletic department is a prime example of the impact that local, homegrown talent can have.

Some local five-stars at Maryland have major followings, like football star Rakim Jarrett and women’s basketball star Angel Reese. But now, a new five-star player has taken Maryland by storm, and she is doing her damage on the tennis court. 

Seventeen-year old Kallista Liu is one of Maryland’s newest stars and is a big reason why the Terps women’s tennis team has undergone a remarkable turnaround from a season ago. 

Last year's 2021 campaign ended in a disappointing 3-16 record, but thanks to Liu and the rest of the team, the Tennis Terps have started off to a blistering 11-1 start.

“I love my team,” Liu said. “Our practices have been super intensive, super high-energy, and we all support each other. I think we have a great team this year.”

Very few athletes feel as destined to be a Maryland Terrapin as much as Liu did. 

As a young child, Liu honed her craft at the Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park, the same place where international tennis stars like Francis Tiafoe and Robin Montgomery call home. 

When it finally came time to figure out her future, Liu had her choices. She was the No. 1 ranked recruit in Maryland and the No. 36 player overall in the class of 2022. In the end, there was only one place that she knew belonged. 

“I would say that the Maryland staff just won me over,” Liu said of her commitment to the Terps. “They won me over very quickly with how kind the coaches were and just how convenient it was to go to a school so close to home.”

Coming from Woodstock, Maryland, Liu grew up in the shadow of College Park and displayed athletic gifts that surpassed her peers from an early age. 

Liu was a star in virtually every sport she tried, even being a top 50 player in both badminton and table tennis on top of her tennis skills. 

As she grew older, tennis became her choice of sport as it fit everything she wanted in a sport, as did her skills fit it. It became a perfect marriage, and it was one that she and her family nurtured. 

The tennis prodigy traveled around the country, placing high at prestigious tournaments like the L2 event in Delray Beach and claiming the singles title at the L3 In Peachtree City earlier this year. 

Overall, before Maryland, Lui accumulated four wins vs. Top 30 players in her class and one win against a top 20 player.

Liu said that her game is most reminiscent of international tennis legend Rafael Nadal, although she admits she has a long way to match the King of Clay. 

With Liu’s status as one of the best high school-aged players in the country established, Maryland tennis head coach Katie Dougherty was excited to welcome Liu next year, but as they tend to do, plans changed, and they did so rather abruptly.

“We had a couple of transfers, and we were left with a spot,” Dougherty explained. “That’s when I called Kallista and asked her if there was any way that she’d be interested in graduating early and joining us for the spring.”

Liu embraced the challenge and worked hard to graduate from high school early to join the Terps for the spring season, and it’s a decision that she believes is the right one.  

Being just 17 years old, Liu finds herself as one of the youngest students, let alone student-athletes, at the University of Maryland. Being in college at such a young age brings several challenges that are difficult to navigate, but Dougherty applauds how her star freshman has handled the adversity. 

“What she’s doing isn’t easy,” Dougherty. “She’s only 17, and she has teammates who are 21 and 22. She’s such a great kid, and I’m really proud of her.”

So far this season, Liu has been as advertised as she’s compiled a 9-1 singles record and a perfect 2-0 mark in doubles competition. 

Having watched her for years, Dougherty isn’t surprised at Liu’s early success. 

Like virtually every single head coach at Maryland, Dougherty has emphasized the importance of recruiting the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia area. 

Liu’s commitment to the Terps was a signature recruiting victory for Dougherty and the tennis program. It signified that Maryland is ready to take the next step in being a highly competitive team. 

“It’s everything,” Dougherty said of Liu and other Maryland natives choosing to play for the Terps. “This area is so full of talent, and there’s a reason why everyone recruits the DMV. Keeping them here is big, and we’re so happy to have people like Kallista do that.”

Despite her accomplishments and her long list of accolades before arriving at Maryland, Liu has kept a level head and is ready to match her natural talent with the hard work that it takes to take it to even greater heights.

“I definitely hope to continue to improve as I get older,” Liu said. “I hope to play higher up in the lineup and help Maryland take down a lot of top schools.”