“I loved tennis more,” she said. “I couldn’t have imagined myself not playing.”
Hedrick made an immediate impact, splitting time between first and second singles as a freshman on the Elks varsity gold squad. Her impact has only continued to grow as the now junior opened the season at 16-1 at first singles for a Centerville team that is ranked in the Top 10 in the state and is the top-ranked D-I team in the area.
“She’s such a smart, hard-working girl on and off the court,” Centerville coach Scott Long said. “She was very mature as a freshman, but her mental game has just continued to improve.”
And with experience, her comfort level has continued to grow.
“Freshman year I was nervous for my matches but I’m way more comfortable now,” Hedrick, 16, said. “I have high expectations for myself, but I know my parents, my friends and my teammates will support me whether I win or lose.”
Losses, however, have been infrequent despite Centerville’s challenging regular-season schedule. Hedrick posted wins against players from state-ranked Upper Arlington and Sycamore as well as local rivals Miami Valley School and Oakwood, ranked first and second, respectively, in the area among D-II teams.
“I did not design the schedule for her to be 16-1, but she was able to pull it out, even in matches that she might have lost last season,” Long said.
After falling just one win short of the state tournament the past two seasons in doubles, Hedrick is focused on making a strong postseason run playing singles.
“I’ve added more offense to my game and my serve is much better,” she said. “I really want to make it to state.”
But she isn’t about to get ahead of herself as Hedrick remains focused on each match. The Elks will next be in action Saturday as they play host to the Miami Valley Tennis Coaches Association Coaches Cup. Twenty-four teams will compete at six different sites – Centerville, Chaminade Julienne, Greeneview, Milton Union and Springboro high schools as well as Arthur Fisher Park – for local bragging rights.
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