By Tim Kelly
Our corner of Nova Nation in Ocean City is one quite familiar to Jay Wright.
The head coach of Villanova’s Final Four-bound mens’ basketball team is a longtime OC summer resident and can be spotted around town as frequently as the schedule of a big-time hoops coach allows.
At the store or the gym, at the beach or the boards, Jay Wright sees plenty of Villanova flags and T-shirts in OC and is comfortable moving around town. Another local Wright haunt: the tennis courts.
The courts at Ocean City High School also happen to be a second home of sorts for Villanova alum Candice Kolins a year-round Ocean City resident who frequently crosses paths with the future Hall of Fame coach.
As Candice Carlin, the former Moorestown High School tennis star went on to become the number one singles and doubles player at Villanova, playing from 2003 to 2007. Her doubles partner and co-captain as a senior was Leigh Ann Reilly (now Weill,) the niece of Jay Wright.
“He came to our matches and was always complimentary and supportive,” Candice said. “He is such a nice guy and a class act.”
Following her graduation, Kolins’ tennis connection with Wright continued. Her sister Kristen – a Division 1 tennis star in her own right at Moorestown and Princeton – was the director of the OC summer tennis programs who coordinated a father-son tournament a few years back in which Jay Wright participated. Working with Kristen that summer was Jay Wright’s daughter, Reilly.
Candice and Kristen’s father Dan Carlin teamed with Kristen’s husband Rob Vogelbacher to defeat Jay and his son Taylor.
It was a hard-earned win over two pretty good tennis players, Candice said. “Jay is a good player. His strokes are good and he has a really good serve. He is just a great athlete who is probably pretty good at any sport he tries. Of course he doesn’t have time to play much (or he would be even better). His son is a good player, too,” Kolins said.
This weekend, much of America’s sports attention will be focused on San Antonio, where Wright’s Wildcats (34-4) face Kansas (31-7) in the second national semifinal game at 8:49 p.m. following the Loyola-Chicago vs. Michigan matchup. The winners will advance to the championship game on Monday night at 9:20.
Kolins’ and her family will be among the multitudes cheering for her Alma Mater to win its second national championship in three years.
A working mom, she and husband Sean are the proud parents of one-year-old Sienna. Candice launched an active wear company, Cruise Control, in 2007. Kristen joined as a co-owner the following year. In addition to offering a complete line of workout, tennis and leisure wear, Cruise Control is the supplier to the Philadelphia Freedoms, the World Team Tennis franchise which shares a Pavilion at Villanova home court with the Wildcats’ hoop squads.
Sean Kolins, a graduate of Rutgers; U.S. Naval Academy grad Vogelbacher and the womens’ parents Adele and Dan Carlin have all become ‘Nova fans, Candice said. “And we might have the newest little Wildcat in the making the way Sienna has been running and jumping around,” said Sean. A few months after Sienna made her debut on planet Earth, Kristen gave birth to Bobby, who will soon celebrate his first birthday. Kristen, Rob and Bobby reside in Somers Point.
The family members, minus the babies, were together in 2016, when a buzzer-beating three-pointer by Kris Jenkins provided the winning margin over North Carolina to secure the ‘Cats first NCAA crown since 1985.
“I jumped out of my chair and started screaming, and spilled my drink,” Candice said. “We were all kind of going crazy.”
She remarked that she would love nothing more than to do it again this year, during the Cats’ third Final Four appearance under Wright. They were the top-ranked men’s team for much of the season, won the Big East regular season championship and were awarded the top seed in their NCAA regional bracket. Las Vegas installed them as a five point favorite against Kansas.
“Villanova is a great school and Nova Nation is such a great community,” Candice said. “I’m just proud to be a part of it and so proud that I’m a Wildcat.”
