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05/11/2017 12:00 AMOlivia Hoyt has made some big-time strides as the No. 2 singles player on the North Haven girls’ tennis team this spring. Last season, Olivia netted a record of 11-10 at that spot. This year, the senior captain has already matched that total with her mark of 11-2 and is playing a major role in another great campaign for the Indians, who are 13-1.
Olivia started with tennis at an early age as a result of her family playing the sport. That includes Olivia’s twin sister Hillary, who plays the No. 3 singles position for North Haven.
“My whole family plays, so I started when I was really little. My mom and dad, we play together all the time,” says Olivia. “I’ve been playing my whole life and I knew, of course, I wanted to play in high school. I wanted a chance to play competitively against other people at my level.”
Olivia began her high school tennis career playing doubles with her sister, but by the time they were sophomores, it was apparent that both Olivia and Hillary were going to be strong singles players. Olivia played No. 3 singles that year and then moved up to No. 2 as a junior last spring.
Olivia says that having Hillary on the team is a big help to her, especially when the siblings compete against one another at practice.
“We’re definitely really competitive with each other. In our practices, we never finish our matches because they take so long,” Olivia says. “Being on a team with my sister has made me push harder to do better.”
Olivia and Hillary also help each other out prior to their matches by getting themselves psyched up to face their opponents.
“Usually, on the drive over to the courts, my sister and I will listen to music. We talk about who we’re playing, and we tell ourselves that we’re definitely going to win our matches,” says Olivia. “You have to have confidence in yourself and your abilities or you’ve already lost.”
Olivia has a lot to feel confident about with her stellar record of 11-2. Olivia says that she’s improved considerably from last year, and knows that playing against top-notch competition has taken her skill-set to the next level.
“I feel like I’ve gotten a lot better. I’ve sharpened my shots and gotten a lot better at placement,” she says. “Having had the experience of playing at No. 2 last year, I was playing against some of the best people in the state. That experience really helped me improve; also, playing against [North Haven’s No. 1 singles player Julia Migliorini] in practice.”
Olivia’s progression has played a huge part in North Haven’s 13-1 record this year. The Indians have already qualified for postseason play, and Olivia believes that they’ll be ready to do some damage when the time comes.
“We’re shooting for the SCC title for our division, and we have a really good shot this year. We only get a few practices a week, so we have to work hard at drills and make sure we’re ready,” says Olivia. “We have a really strong singles lineup and doubles are getting better all the time. We know that by the end of the season, we’ll definitely be ready for states.”
North Haven girls’ tennis Head Coach Bob Migliorini will be there to help Olivia prepare for her postseason contests. However, Migliorini thinks that Olivia already has what it takes to win those marquee matchups: consistency.
“She’s a really strong singles player because she’s so consistent. She has a steady game, and she’s a smart player,” says Migiolrini. “She maintains her cool on the court. In high school competition, you have to be a good, consistent player to win.”
Olivia displayed her trademark consistency last week, when North Haven played a tough matchup against Lauralton Hall. The Indians had never beaten the Crusaders in Coach Migliorini’s tenure, but this time around, they prevailed 4-3 with Olivia’s 7-5, 6-4 victory sealing it for North Haven. It’s those types of matches where Olivia shows her tenacity as a player who’s always on the hunt for the win, even when the odds aren’t in her favor.
“In tennis, you can never give up when you’re playing. You can always come back no matter what,” says Olivia. “I’ve seen people fall behind in a match and get down on themselves, but as long as you don’t give up, you can always come back and win.”