At the beginning of the school year, freshman Ava Kosic joined BV tennis. She enjoys having great teammates, meeting many new friends and being involved in competitions. Kosic is ready to step onto the court and show her tennis skills. 

“[I got into tennis at the age of] twelve,“ she said. “My mom loved it and I just wanted to try it. I loved it too, so I am getting on the court as much as possible.” 

On September 11, the varsity tennis team swept the Emporia tournament with an overall first place out of eight teams, followed by Kosic who got first place. 

In tennis, Kosic’s strength is playing aces— a legal serve which the receiver or opponent does not manage to get their racket to, making a winning point of the serve. 

“My favorite moment on the tennis court is when I ace people,” said Kosic. “It’s [satisfying] when you just serve and [the opponent] can’t get a racket on it.” 

For Kosic, there can be great moments on the court, but also difficult and bothersome ones. 

“[What’s frustrating is when] I miss an easy shot, usually with a volley— a shot in which the tennis ball is struck before it bounces while standing near the net,” she said. “What annoys me the most is when my opponent cheats.” 

Kosic puts in effort on the court to help develop her career in tennis. 

“I would love to have a future in tennis,” Kosic says. “I think tennis is a really great sport to play and I enjoy it so much and I would love to see myself in the future doing it.” 

Tennis players have to be versatile. However, really good tennis players have solid skills and know the fundamentals. For Kosic, she looks up to one great player who made the impossible possible. 

“Naomi Osaka is my favorite tennis player, because she was young when she played,” she said. “[Osaka] was super good and she played against Serena Williams, [showing] that anybody can be the best if you just try your best.” 

With every tournament, Kosic uses strategies to help her focus on her game against a strong, steady opponent — even for future tournaments. 

“Don’t get frustrated. Stick through the tough moments,” she said. “Have good mental strength [and a powerful] mindset. [Hit more] angles and don’t play safe. [It’s important to] just have fun.”