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06/04/2014 12:00 AMHannah Halsey got into tennis at a very young age thanks to her dad, and has improved herself in every facet through her sophomore year at Valley.
"My dad was always playing. He was a former coach and he really enjoys the game. I experimented with a lot of sports when I was little and tennis was the one that caught my attention and the one that I wanted to focus on," says Hannah, who's posted a 14-3 mark at No. 2 singles this year. "I like how it is a team sport, but when you get out on the court, it's just you and it tests your mental and physical game. It's challenging but a lot of fun."
Hannah and her dad look to get out on the court together as often as they can, and Hannah uses that time to improve her overall game.
"In the offseason we try to play at least once a week together. We're able to get on the court and he can teach me a lot," says Hannah. "It definitely takes my mind off the competitiveness, but he does make me focus on important elements of the game that I should use when I'm in a competitive match. Even when we're playing non-competitively, he teaches me skills that I use later on in my season."
One of those skills is Hannah's "game face," as Head Coach Joe Goldman calls it, when she gets locked in to play her best tennis. Goldman says he can see Hannah's competitive spirit in both her body language and eyes.
"Three times this year Hannah lost in her first set only to come back and win her match against talented players. It is very easy to give up after losing the first set. Most players know how easy it is to lose focus after an early setback, but that never gets Hannah down," says Goldman. "She fully invests herself into each point and doesn't let early mistakes define her matches. That determination also sets a great tone for the whole team, who knows we can count on Hannah to play her heart out each and every time she steps on the court."
Hannah's intensity stems from all her previous coaches and training, as well as her will to be the best.
"I want to win. That's basically what it comes down to," says Hannah. "When I lose my first set, I just don't accept it and I want revenge. You want to be hungry to win and I feel that. I was just taught to not give up."
After playing No. 4 singles as a freshman, Hannah moved up to the No. 2 ranks this season and won 14 matches in a competitive Shoreline Conference. She likes when she can go on the offensive in a match and does so more often than not.
"I generally try my best every match to play offensively and be aggressive by coming up to the net. Once I get on that streak, I stay on that streak," says Hannah.
Hannah's goal is to win the Shoreline Conference title by her senior season, and she has decided to conclude her soccer career at Valley to focus on accomplishing that. Coach Goldman is happy that she isn't leaving tennis for soccer because of how valuable she is to the Warriors.
"Hannah is a critical part of the girls' tennis team," says Goldman. "Valley is lucky to have her."