L
incoln born and raised Camilla 
Carpenter (August 2024 bride to 
Eli Carpenter) has been a member 
of the CCL tennis  staff since the 
summer of 2022. You may remember her 
sister, Fidan, who coached tennis at CCL 
before Camilla showed up on the scene.
“I am the youngest of four girls,” she tells 
us. “We all tried playing tennis at some point, 
but only Fidan and I stuck with it. I shared a 
love of tennis with her and my dad, who grew 
up playing. So many of my favorite memories 
are with the two of them on a tennis court or 
traveling for tournaments.”
Camilla has played competitive tennis 
as long as she can remember. She still plays 
often, even competitively in USTA leagues, 
and enjoys playing casually with friends. 
She grew up traveling and competing in 
high-level tennis tournaments, starting with 
local events in Nebraska and progressing to 
USTA Missouri Valley District tournaments, 
Junior National competitions, and ITA 
collegiate-level tournaments. Alongside her 
best friends, she won the state tournament 
her freshman year of high school. A personal 
career high was playing Junior National 
tournaments with best friends from all 
around the Midwest. 
This empathetic pro knows all the 
highs and lows of the tennis journey. “It’s 
important to be competitive and have 
friendly competition but you’ve got to have 
fun or you’ll burn out easily. Tennis is special 
and amazing to have in your life so having 
fun will lead you to play it for as long as 
you can!
“I love the connections and relationships 
it brings. Some of my best friendships were 
made on the tennis court. I’ve met so many 
people and families through traveling to 
tennis tournaments. It’s amazing how strong 
and large the tennis community is, especially 
here in Lincoln. I cherish each relationship 
I have with each player I coach, from kids to 
adults.”
Those are the highs of tennis. The 
lows led her to coaching. “Pressure comes 
with playing high-level, competitive 
tennis your whole life. I’ve learned that 
pressure is a privilege because it means 
things are expected of you, but it’s also an 
overwhelming feeling to have at a young 
age. I would be on court every single day 
for multiple hours a day, traveling every 
weekend for tournaments. I lost time with 
my friends and missed out on events and 
exciting things going on. Having that routine 
became exhausting after some time.
“That’s why I love coaching. I’m able to 
be on the court, but now I’m coaching the 
next generation of players.”
Camilla coaches full time at CCL. She’s 
on the court every day for most of the day 
except for seasonal lows in tennis at the 
Club. She teaches group lessons, “from our 
youngest red ball kids to our adult clinics.” 
She also gives private lessons. “Some of our 
kids and juniors compete in tournaments, 
from local tournaments to high school 
tournaments that have given us state 
champions.” She coaches many adults who 
participate in USTA league competitions.
When she’s not on the court, this pro 
says she loves to spend time with her 
husband, family, friends and dogs. Astro, the 
Carpenters’ Siberian Husky, and Comet, their 
Bernese Mountain Dog, chase tennis balls.
How could we resist asking this 
20-something pro about the 
tennis attire she likes to rock, 
especially when we learn she 
works part time at boutiquey 
Ash & Ash Co., where you’ll find 
her on the sales floor when 
she’s not helping with their 
social media.
“You can’t deny dressing up for tennis 
is so fun with all the cute clothing 
pieces. I think of tennis as a classy 
and timeless sport, so I try to dress 
that way. I love to wear dresses and 
skirts with tank tops in classic colors 
like white, black, navy, and Kelly green. 
Some of my favorite pieces are from 
Wilson and Lululemon!”
Camilla tells us she’s passionate 
about health and wellness. “I love to 
weight lift and do Hotworx workouts 
and Pilates alongside running and 
playing tennis. I like to do a variety of 
movements every week and get in 
lots of steps in the day! I also believe 
that what you fuel yourself with is just 
as important if not more important 
than exercising. I stick to natural 
and organic whole foods and avoid 
processed food. I stay away from long 
lists of ingredients I can’t pronounce, 
including food dyes and artificial 
sweeteners, and give my body the 
proper food it needs to function 
its best. 
“Healthy,” she concedes, while 
we imagine her looking sideways at 
Denny, “looks different for everybody, 
so do what feels best for you!” We hear 
her say that includes having fun.
Fun is the 
right ingredient
26

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