Around the age of 12, Noah’s tennis career really started to take off. He was playing at the top of the Southern California section and not long after, began playing in national tournaments. As he kept developing his game over the years, he began to draw interest from colleges around the country, but just when the recruiting process was starting for him, the pandemic hit. For a self-proclaimed ‘lazy kid,’ Noah, who was only 16 at the time, found it difficult to keep training amid all the uncertainty.
“I was playing the best I ever had in my career,” Noah said. “Right when Covid hit, I lost that motivation. I didn’t have the discipline to keep on sprinting with the distance unknown. I’m sure everyone went through it, but it hit me hard.”
When Noah eventually got back on the court, he immediately saw the negative ramifications of being out of shape. Although he was a blue-chip, five-star prospect at St. Augustine High School, the interest from colleges started to drop off. One of the coaches who continued to believe in him was the one who was the first to initially reach out - UC Irvine’s Mike Saunders.
“When I first saw Noah, I saw an opportunity to get a player who needed development but had a higher ceiling than most juniors," Saunders said. “My sense was that he had been told his entire junior career how talented he was, which is often internalized as a burden by the player and ultimately counterproductive. While Noah was a better natural athlete than almost all his peers and his game style and shot making were aesthetically pleasing to the eye, he had a ways to go as a player and competitor. But I was confident that if Noah had a better understanding of what it actually takes and teammates around him to positively push and hold him accountable, he would be inspired and motivated by the challenge. To his credit, Noah has made the sacrifices and shown unwavering commitment. But more impressively, he has done the hard work required to evolve his constitution and prioritize and value process and growth over results. All of which reflects his thoughtful maturity as a player, competitor, and individual.”
Along with the loyalty and belief Coach Saunders showed, Noah had a couple friends in his corner who encouraged his decision to commit to UCI. A former training partner of his back home in San Diego, Matthew Sah, who played for the Anteaters from 2019-24, sold him on the team culture. One of his best friends from high school, Jacob Odle, was also headed to UC Irvine to play baseball.
With everything falling into place, Noah was ready to begin his collegiate career. Although he was continuing to work his way back into playing shape and still didn’t feel like he was giving it his all, he found the motivation in the team environment. He also had a handful of experienced role models in the coaching staff and his teammates. Two teammates in particular, graduate transfers Emmanuel Coste (Oregon) and Riccardo Roberto (Alabama), who came in from Power 5 schools, had a big impact on Noah’s mental game and discipline.
“They were probably the best people I could have had,” Noah said. “They knew what it took and were the perfect people to have around. And the coaches here are just sublime. I had Tyler Pham as an assistant my first year and then Luis Lopez followed in his footsteps. The main guy, Saunders, got me not just thinking better about my game but about myself as a person which is so valuable. Then there’s Eric Quade, our volunteer assistant; there are just a whole bunch of people who helped take me to the next level and put me in the position I am today. I’m grateful for everyone throughout my career.”
By the end of the 2022-23 season, Noah was the Big West co-Freshman of the Year, and an all-conference selection in both singles and doubles. In singles, he led the Anteaters with a 17-4 overall record, including a 13-2 mark in dual matches. He also went 3-0 at the Big West Championship to help the ‘Eaters claim their first conference title in over a decade.
