"She brings the ideals of hard work, dedication, attention to detail and leading by example," Ho's head coach Buffy Baker said. "She has all of the qualities of a senior. She has proven, especially last year, that she has all of those qualities. She is a model of excellence."
Also a top student, Ho combines the rigors of big-time college athletics with the stress of difficult schoolwork in her architectural engineering majoring.
"Although tennis is very important to me, my academic performance always comes first. I'm a student first and athlete second," Ho said.
Even with the countless hours put into practice, running, strength training and traveling, Ho still studies close to three hours every day.
"I just want to maintain a healthy balance in my life," Ho said. "I want to be able to play tennis at a high level, do well in an intense major and have good friends."
Ho started playing tennis when she was only six. Born into a family where both parents and her older sister played the sport, it seemed natural.
"When I was young, my whole family would go to play and they would bring me along," Ho said. "My parents taught me how to play and I just kept on going. Tennis became a part of me."
Tennis stayed a part of Ho as she traveled from Hong Kong to Toronto at age 10. In Canada, Ho's talent continued to grow. She attended her first training camp, taking her interest in the sport beyond merely a recreational activity. At age 12, when she qualified for her first Canadian junior national tournament, Ho began to realize she had talent.
"When I qualified for junior nationals the first time, I knew I had a gift, that I was a little better than most other players," Ho said.
Ho quickly became one of the top juniors in Canada, reaching a No. 6 national ranking. Ho won Ontario provincial championships in both singles and doubles.
Ho culminated her junior career at age 18 with a trip to the doubles finals of the Canadian junior nationals, where she played with Sonja Bajin, now the top player at Harvard.
"I think those two tournaments were the highlights of my pre-college career," Ho said. "It was a great way to finish my junior career and it was great to play with Sonja. We still train with each other and we're still good friends."
The next step in Ho's journey would be her recruitment. Before the numerous colleges came knocking, Ho had a good idea of what she was looking for.
"I was looking at places somewhat close to my home in Canada, so mainly the Big Ten and the northeast," Ho said. "I wanted the best combination of athletics and academics. I decided to only look at schools that were ranked in the top 50 academically."
Ho's talents on the court and in the classroom attracted a number of recruiters. The finalists for her services were Penn State, Syracuse, Minnesota, Michigan and Brown. Michigan and Brown, because of a numbers crunch and Ivy League rules respectively, were unable to offer full scholarships, which eliminated them. The other three schools did offer Ho a full ride though, and it turned out to be Penn State's balance that won the battle.
"Penn State has a big program and is very supportive of its student athletes. Also, Penn State has one of the strongest architecture programs which is what I wanted to major in," Ho said.
As it is for most freshman athletes, the transition from high school to college was somewhat difficult for Ho, but she made the most of a unique opportunity.
The Lions' No. 1 player, Pilar Montgomery, went down with an injury and Ho was forced into the top spot. Facing some of the country's toughest players, Ho struggled to a 15-19 record, including 1-9 in Big Ten competition. A tough initial season for sure, but the experience would prove to be invaluable.
"There was a lot of adjustment involved. Living a way from home for the first time, playing tennis at a much higher level, but I think playing number one helped me," Ho said. "In a way, it took the pressure off. Any win was considered a good win, I was just happy to be playing."
Things slowed down a bit during Ho's second season when she hit what she calls her "sophomore jinx." Montgomery returned and was reinstalled at No. 1, prompting a demotion of Ho to No. 2. She had a series of nagging injuries and things were looking down.
To top things off, Ho had to get used to a new coach. The coach that had recruited her to Penn State, Sue Whiteside, left and was replaced by Baker. A tough season and a new coach would sometimes be too much for a player to handle, but Ho made the most of it.
"I think getting used to a new coach helped me. It opened me up to new ideas about the sport and I think it made me more flexible," Ho said.
Baker added, "When I came on, Rebecca was ready to commit to our program. She was ready to put herself on the line."
Ho battled back during the spring semester of her sophomore slump to post an 18-17 singles record and a 28-9 mark in doubles.
"Win or lose, Rebecca continues to fight," Baker said. "If she's going down, she's going down swinging. She never plays it safe."
The growing pains of her sophomore season prepared Ho to become one of the top players in the Big Ten and a true team leader. Ho went 25-13 during her junior year, including 9-1 in crucial Big Ten matches. She had finally begun to tap into the potential she had so much of in the sport she loved.
Now, as she sits near the peak of her college career, Ho looks back at those who supported her.
"My family is so important to me," Ho said. "My parents and my sister have been very supportive. In 1989, after the Tienamen Square disaster, and with all of the crime and pollution in Hong Kong, my parents felt me and my sister would be safer in Canada, so they picked up and moved their lives for us.
"Also, my teammates are very supportive. If I need them, they're always there for me. My teammates are my best friends."
That admiration goes both ways.
"I think it's a great opportunity to have her on the team," junior Judy Wang said. "She's a great role model, she's always been there for us, everyone looks up to her. She's so competitive and determined. If she puts her mind to it, she is going to do it."
The 2001-2002 season is Ho's last for Penn State, and not even she knows what is in store for the future.
"I might continue to play some satellite tournaments in Canada or the United States, but I'm really into my major," Ho said. "I think I might want to focus on interior design."
One thing is for sure though. When Ho leaves the Penn State tennis program, it will be better off than when she first arrived.
"It will be very hard when she leaves," Wang said. "She's played such a big role on this team. She's been so important to Penn State tennis."
