Senior Hillary Rupp started playing tennis freshman year to try out a new sport. Advancing through JV for two years she made the varsity team by junior year and is now consistently one of the top ranked players on the team.

Rupp experienced success on the court since her freshman year, despite having just started out.

“One of my best moments was my freshman year when I won first at the Bonner tournament for JV,” Rupp said.

“And my shoe fell off while I was playing.”

She has had a few mishaps during matches though, even when she does win.

“In a match this year I smacked myself in the lip and got a fat lip,” Rupp said. “I’ve tripped on a crack, the ball’s hit me in the face, and I’ve hit my coaches at every single year with a tennis ball. Once was on purpose, the others were an accident.”

One of the most appealing parts of being on the tennis team for Rupp is the closeness of her teammates.

“I love the energy of the team and how the players interact,” Rupp said. “We all get along and we all make jokes, so it’s not boring.”

Rupp tends to be a little more off-beat than the rest of her team off the court.

“I’m the rebel on the team,” Rupp said. “We’re not allowed to eat junk food and I always eat junk food. I’m the loud one. And I always crack jokes when everyone else is trying to be serious.”

Rupp has been able to maintain friendships through tennis.

“Most of my friends that I had from middle school are on tennis with me so we’ve kept our friendship,” Rupp said.

Rupp has gained a lot from her experience on the team.

“I’ve learned how to use teamwork and that you can rely on other people,” Rupp said. “I’ve also built a lot more friendships.”