State championships are often a harrowing journey, with the trials and hardships along the way testing an athlete’s resolve. On the girls’ tennis team, one player worked through the tribulations of an injury for the duration of the season and played at the highest level all the while.
The athlete in question is sophomore Ashley Hayes, a state qualifier for girls’ tennis who placed fifth at the MSHAA tournament. As a second-year high school athlete, her development has been immense, both as a player and as a teammate. Coming to the team as an already dominant player, she only had to prove herself to the coaches and teammates around her. Hayes shocked the rankings, quickly rising to the top of varsity. In doing so, she solidified herself as an integral member of the roster.
Being at the top of varsity, her partner for a majority of her doubles playtime has seen Hayes’ highs and lows of her past two seasons. Her partner, junior Chloe Horton, finds that Hayes has grown greatly, coming out of her shell this year and being more participatory in team bonding.
“Ashley has gotten so much more comfortable with the team and has been very outgoing this season. She’s always been a very humble player. She has improved so much from last year, and I can’t wait to see how much better she gets next year, too. Overall, though, I’m just really proud of her and all that she’s done,” Horton said.
This season has been far from easy for Hayes, suffering an ankle injury in the pre-season. A piece of bone was broken off and flattened from persistent playing, limiting the amount of practice she had with the team. In what would have been season-ending for many other players, Hayes made the decision to power through the pain and play as many of her matches as possible.
“There were times when I didn’t hurt at all, which was great, but there were other times, sometimes in important matches, where it would start hurting,” said Hayes. “Dealing with that was definitely challenging and made some things harder. Sometimes, I would just take ibuprofen, so it wasn’t that bad most of the time.”
Overcoming challenges is the ultimate goal of an athlete, and Hayes had encountered numerous obstacles on her road to state. Aside from her injury, she dealt with the stress and pressure that comes with being a top-level player. Especially as a sophomore, the atmosphere at a big tournament, like districts or state, can be very humbling for any player, as they are surrounded by the best of the best from each school. However, by being a part of a very positive team, Hayes is able to battle this hardship.
“I get pretty nervous for big matches and I try to relax before them,” Hayes said. “Honestly, the best thing that helps me is talking to people, especially my friends, and making jokes and just trying to view it as something fun instead of something really important.”
In preparation for the next season and the next attempt at winning state, Hayes is expected to work hard after she recovers from her injury over the next four months. Assistant coach Nick Jury looks forward to the offseason in hopes that Hayes will see bounds of improvement.
“The biggest thing is getting more experience and playing more matches. At the level she’s at, the best way to get better is to keep at it and continue going up against tough opponents,” Jury said.
