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As a student-athlete navigates the recruiting process, he or she may not find the ideal combination of tennis and academics at a Division I university. In those cases, looking into Division II programs may be a logical next step.

With available scholarships and an increased focus on the balance necessary to be a successful student and player, Division II schools are often smaller than their Division I counterparts with downsized tournament and dual match schedules.

In order to paint a clear picture of the opportunities available at Division II tennis programs, we posed the following questions to our panel of DII coaches.

Q) What are some advantages of Division II tennis? What are some of the key differences of Division II athletics? What are some common misconceptions? Which players thrive in the Division II environment?

Estevam Strecker, head coach, St. Edward's Men

One of the biggest advantages of being a D-II player is the opportunity for success. Recruits should ask themselves: is it better to play No. 6 at a D-I school or near the top of the lineup at a D-II school? Players are also able to play full matches - which might no longer the case in D-I with the changes that are being considered to the scoring format.

Some people are surprised by the level of competition. The top players and teams in D-II would probably be ranked in the top 30 or 40 in D-I. The biggest difference between D-I and D-II is probably the level of athletic commitment. While D-II places a significant focus on the balance between academics and athletics, D-I has a much longer schedule, more traveling and more pressure to perform. When comparing D-II and D-III, the financial factor is important to consider. D-III offers no athletic scholarships.

At St. Edward's, the players who thrive are those who are passionate about competing while still understanding that college is a step toward their future careers. I have no expectations of any of my players turning pro, but rather focusing 100 percent on their academics. Though I want them to have success on the court, I also want them to go above and beyond "just getting a degree." I want them to graduate with honors and continue on to become relevant in their field.

Lauren Conching, head coach, Hawaii Pacific Women

I think the nice thing about D-II is that scholarships for tennis can be broken up and combined with academic money if the institution allows it. Also, D-II's motto of "life in the balance" means student-athletes are supposed to have a more balanced athletic experience.

I think many people think the level of play is lower in D-II, and for the top teams, at least, that is completely untrue. There are many D-II players that weren't eligible for D-I - or had heard about a school or team from a friend and didn't care about the division.

The student-athlete that thrives in a D-II environment is the one that doesn't get so hung up on it being D-II, or more specifically - not being D-I. I think as soon as you start making comparisons, thinking you're less of a player or wishing you could say you were playing D-I, you will be unhappy with what you currently have.