With girls tennis season quickly approaching, senior Samaya Smith, last year’s Singles Girls Tennis State Champion, is preparing to go out with a bang for her senior year.
Last season, she competed in the No. 1 singles varsity spot on the girls tennis team. She was very successful throughout the regular season, and when the postseason came around, that was no different. Smith competed in sectionals, regionals, quarterfinals, semi-state and finally state and was crowned the champion in all five tournaments, making history at Warren.
Being crowned the champion of the state tournament was like nothing Smith had ever dreamed of.
“Winning the state tournament meant so much to me,” Smith said. “I have always looked forward to playing in it because I know how hard it is to win, and I've known many girls that have gotten close to winning it. Starting high school, my freshman and sophomore years, I ran track, so when I finally got the chance to play, I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity I had, knowing I only had two years to play in the IHSAA tennis state championships.”
After last year’s success, Smith has set new goals for herself this season and hopes to replicate last year's results.
“My goal this season is to have more fun and let go of any extra stress,” Smith said. “Last season I would get really stressed before all my matches, and this year I am looking to make this an even better year than the last one.”
Head Coach Jonn Patterson has also set goals for her this season and has enjoyed seeing her progress throughout high school.
“It has been an absolute pleasure coaching Samaya,” Patterson said. “ She has a tireless work ethic that one must possess in order to achieve the success she has attained. She is highly intelligent that matches her athletic ability. On the tennis court, she can process situations very quickly, which gives her the advantage over her opponent. She keeps a positive attitude that does not allow adversity to affect her goal of winning. The expectation is for her to repeat what she accomplished last season, or in her words, ‘run it back.’”
This season is also an important milestone for Smith, as it is her senior year and her final season competing at the high school level. Smith can’t believe it’s already her senior year, and she is feeling bittersweet about it.
“I know it’s going to be the last of everything, playing with friends on my high school team, working with my coaches,” Smith said. “During off-season at tournaments and competitions everything is individual, so I am looking forward to playing with my team again and will make the most of it.”
Balancing her academics, extracurricular activities and tennis training and meets is no easy task, but throughout high school, Smith has been able to stay in the top 50 of the class, all while competing against the best tennis players the state has to offer.
“Balancing school and tennis is difficult, not spending too much time in one area, causing the other to suffer,” Smith said, “Some days I have to spend five plus hours on the court and come home and start homework at 7 p.m. In the beginning, it was difficult, but I have worked on being disciplined to find a balance between the two.”
Once she graduates from high school, she will be attending the University of Louisville, playing tennis and majoring in public health. Having the opportunity to play tennis at the college level is something she’s dreamed about for a few years now.
“In the tennis world, I started playing tennis at a late age, and I was trying to catch up over the last two years,” Smith said. “I never would have imagined that I would be in the situation I’m in, getting a full ride to play Division I tennis. I figured things out for myself and worked so hard on and off the court to reach my dreams and get to play at the University of Louisville.”