When Erica Walter and
Brad Adams met 20 years ago, they could have never imagined how much being part of Villanova Tennis would impact their lives.
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When Walter was a freshman in 2000, she played for the Villanova Women's team under coach
Steve Reiniger and started dating Adams, then a sophomore on the men's team.
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Walter and Adams during their playing days
at Villanova
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"We both have really great memories of our time representing Villanova on the tennis courts. Both the men's and women's teams were competitive on the court and in the classroom. We naturally spent a lot of time together practicing and competing and were lucky to be surrounded by such talented athletes and incredible friends." Walter said.
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Both Walter and Adams played four years with their respective teams, and each had standout careers as Wildcats.
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In his senior year, Adams went 7-4 in singles at No. 1, and went .500 in doubles. Adams also served as a co-captain during his senior season and compiled a career record of 25-37 at the No. 1 singles spot and a 23-23 record at No. 1 doubles. He was named to the BIG EAST All-Academic Team all four years of his undergraduate career.
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Walter was also named to the BIG EAST All-Academic Team every year. In her senior season, Walter served as a co-captain and went 10-3 at No. 6 in singles and 12-13 in doubles. She was named the College Player of the Year from the South Jersey Tennis Coaches Association that year. She was selected on the criteria of "excellence in athletics, academics and showed leadership and strong contribution to a collegiate squad."
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Adams and Walter with the men's and women's tennis teams
 during the 2000-2001 season in Hawaii
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Adams graduated in 2003 and he and Walter started a long-distance relationship while he received a full academic scholarship for graduate school in Binghamton, New York.
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During the summer he also lived in Boston training and traveling with some of the best tennis players in the New England section.
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Walter graduated in 2004 from Villanova's Business School with a degree in marketing and finance. She started working for Johnson & Johnson as a Sales Representative in Philadelphia. During summer weekends they would meet at the Jersey Shore, enjoying the beaches of Sea Isle City and the sunsets at Twistie's Tavern on the Bay in Strathmere. Â
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Walter and her teammates during the 2003-2004 season
Adams became the head coach of the men's tennis team in 2006. At the time he was still dating Walter. After a tennis match in 2007, Adams proposed at The Grotto on campus.
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The two were married in the St. Thomas of Villanova Church in 2008, with many of their past Villanova teammates and coaches there to help them celebrate, including Villanova's mascot, Will D. Cat.
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Adams with Will D. Cat at his wedding in 2008
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The Adams'Â after their 2008 wedding at
St. Thomas of Villanova Church on campus
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Today, the Adams' have been married for 12 years and have two children, a six-year-old named Liam and a three-year-old named Harper, who also share their parent's love for tennis.
Erica said if you ask them where they want to go to college when they grow up, they'll put up their V's and say, "V for Villanova". They still enjoy summer weekends down the shore and sunsets at Twistie's as a family.
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The Adams's family in San Diego earlier
this year when the men's team played out West
Liam and Harper Adams at a men's tennis
match this season
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Currently, Erica works for Johnson & Johnson where she has been for the last 15 years. She has had multiple roles over her career in sales, sales training and marketing. She is now responsible for Worldwide Marketing Education for the company's medical device businesses.
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Brad is still the head coach of men's tennis at Villanova and just finished his 13
th season with the team.
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 Head coach Brad Adams this season at a Villanova match
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"We consider the teams we played with, and those that came after us, as family. Over the years we have stayed connected to many of the tennis alums celebrating weddings, reunions, and more. It's hard to believe so many years have passed since we were student-athletes, but they truly were some of the best years. We are grateful for everything we have received both personally and professionally by being part of the Villanova community. Go Cats!"Â Erica said.
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"Our relationship is a testament to what Villanova represents. The friendships we established during our college years have become lifelong. The close-knit community we were fortunate to experience is something I continue to reinforce with my team. While the development and success of our players on the court is always important, the character they exhibit off the court and relationships they form with their teammates lead to lifelong friendships and memories," Brad shared.
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