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At the start of his college search, Alexander Keyser did not have Columbia University. on the list of schools he considered attending.

Alexander Keyser has committed to Columbia

The San Ramon Valley High junior has verbally committed to play for the Lions.

"Once I visited I realized if I was going to an Ivy League school it would be Columbia," said Keyser, a Danville, Calif., native. "The school is really good academically, and the coaches are really nice. All of the guys on the team told me they [Bid Goswami and Howard Endelman] were two of the best coaches in Division I tennis."

Keyser narrowed his choices to Columbia and Northwestern in late January.

His good friend, Victor Pham, has signed to play at Columbia and put in a good word about the school and the tennis program. It was one of many perspectives the blue-chip recruit received before making his final decision.

"I definitely consulted a lot of people. I consulted a lot of the guys on both teams and I talked a lot with my parents and my sister," Keyser said. "It took a while to come up with the decision. I made a pros and cons sheet, but in the end it was kind of a gut choice because the pros and cons were kind of equal."

Keyser started playing tennis when he was six after his uncle introduced him to the sport. He played with his sister and cousins before eventually participating in tournaments on a regular basis.

"I played a bunch of other sports when I was young, but I kind of just enjoyed tennis the most because it's so individual," Keyser said. "I didn't enjoy the other sports I played quite as much, and I just decided to focus on tennis more."

Although his physical skills have improved over the years, Keyser cites his resiliency as his best asset on the court.

"My mental toughness is pretty strong because I feel like I can come back in matches a good amount of times," he said. "I just feel like I am never really out of a match because of my mental toughness."