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05/26/2016 12:00 AMDevyn Gargano has only been playing tennis for a little more than four years, but the junior has elevated her game to play the No. 2 singles position and, sometimes even the top spot, for the Yellowjackets this spring.
“I’m constantly improving my skill and it really showed this season with my current record of 8-8,” says Devyn. “I haven’t really noticed my progression over the years until this season. I just enjoy playing all the time and I want to continue to get better.”
Devyn got involved in tennis thanks to her aunt and her cousin, Julianna Mikulski, who’s also a member of the East Haven girls’ tennis team. They started taking lessons together and then formed a quality doubles pairing in their early years with the Yellowjackets.
“Although I am currently a singles player, since my cousin and I first started playing together, we’ve always been a strong doubles team,” Devyn says. “Our freshman year playing for East Haven High School, we were in the starting varsity lineup as doubles 3 and, in the beginning of sophomore year, we were doubles 1. Although I haven’t been playing with her this season, I still take lessons with her year-round and we play together on nice days. I enjoy playing with her because we’re very competitive against each other.”
Devyn enjoys certain aspects of both singles and doubles and, as a result of gaining so much experience on both sides of the court, she’s strengthened her mental game and seen more success.
“I think I would prefer singles just because I find it easier to rely on myself, but I do find doubles more enjoyable because you can go out and, win or lose, always have fun with your partner,” says Devyn. “Many people look at tennis as all physical, but one of the most difficult parts of playing the sport is keeping your head clear of negative thoughts. I’m happy to say that I no longer have that weakness. Now when playing, rather than thinking badly, I’m strategizing the point as to where I want to hit the ball. I’ve learned how to focus and pinpoint my opponents’ weaknesses and strengths and use them to benefit myself.”
Yellowjackets’ Head Coach Dave Oshana notes how Devyn often grinds her way though her matches and makes her adversaries run out of gas.
“She’ll play for three hours. She’s very determined and doesn’t let up,” Oshana says. “She’s very mentally tough and she has a great forehand topspin shot and powerful serve. She will wear down her opponents and is a real fighter in her matches.”
Two key pieces to Devyn’s success are her forehand and serve and she knows how much trouble those things can cause for the girl on the other side of the net.
“I do love that I can rely on my forehand, but when my serve is in, not many girls can return it. In matches, I hardly ever get an overhead shot, but during practice, the girls on the team know that if it’s going to me, they’re going to have to watch out because it’s my favorite to just kill it as hard as I can,” says Devyn. “About 90 percent of the time, they’re in and I get super excited about those in practice. They put me in a good mood.”
Something else that brightened Devyn’s mood was when the Easties qualified for the SCC Division II Tournament for the first time since she’s been on the team. The tournament takes place this week and Devyn feels thrilled that her team is going.
“I’m proud of myself, but I’m also proud of my team. Being a shy person, making friends isn’t always easy, but this year, my team feels more like my family. We’re all proud of each other and, win or lose, support each other,” she says. “We’re extremely sad to be saying good-bye to six seniors this year, but that doesn’t dull our excitement for SCCs. We’re all hoping for the best in the tournament and plan on going as far as we can together.”
After showing so such improvement this season, Devyn has opened the door to potentially play tennis in college and she’s already started exploring her options.
“Currently, I am visiting many colleges and learning more about what opportunities the schools offer. I am looking to play tennis in college because there is no way I’m ready to give up the sport,” says Devyn. “Being so dedicated and attached to everything about this sport, when I graduate from East Haven High School, there is no possible way that my improvement and love for tennis will come to an end.”