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05/18/2017 12:00 AMSandy Nguyen first stepped on the tennis court as a sophomore at East Haven High School. Sandy was watching a Yellowjackets’ match during an after-school activity in her freshman year, and the experience inspired her to try out for the team. A few years later, Sandy is a regular in the East Haven girls’ tennis team’s lineup who plays No. 1 doubles with Autumn Hernandez.
“I was very inspired by how they hit the ball. I was interested because of how they played,” says Sandy, a senior. “I remember I was in the Art Club and, when I was walking around the school, I found the courts outside, so I stayed there for 10 minutes to watch. I was really inspired with how their hits were really consistent. I just hit me that I wanted to try something different.”
Despite having no competitive tennis experience, Sandy earned a spot on the Yellowjackets for her sophomore season. Playing tennis was a whole new world for Sandy, but she was eager to learn.
“My first experience was really tough. It was hard to focus on the ball and hitting it, too. After a couple of practices, I got the hang of it and got better as I continued,” Sandy says. “The most challenging thing was to hit the ball in the court. There were times I couldn’t get it over the net or I’d hit it way over. It was very hard to control the ball, whether I hit forehand or backhand.”
However, Sandy worked hard, got the hang of it, and has been a fixture on the Easties’ varsity squad for the last two years. Head Coach Dave Oshana praises Sandy for her both versatility and durability on the court.
“She has improved consistently every year. Her ground strokes are always well placed and very low, which make them tough to get. She is very versatile and has a knack for switching from doubles to singles matches whenever needed,” says Oshana. “Sandy is also a grinder, meaning that she is able to wear down her opponents with her ability to get to many balls and hit them back with her reliable ground strokes.”
Sandy primarily played doubles alongside Katie Schneer last spring. Now, this year, she’s been teaming with Hernandez at the No. 1 doubles position. Sandy loves being a doubles player for Yellowjackets and feels that she and Hernandez have great chemistry.
“I like doubles because you get to talk to your partner. It’s just easier for me because I like to hit volleys at the front of the net,” she says. “I felt like a really good connection with my partner. We communicated well and it was fun. As we started hitting with each other and, going in matches, we had this connection where we always knew what we were doing.”
Sandy has also seen some time in the singles lineup this season. She says that it took her a few matches to get used to life in the solo circuit.
“At first, I thought it would be easy, but it was tough, because I wasn’t used to being by myself,” says Sandy. “It’s a lot of running and you have to hit the ball really consistent and right on the line, not in the alleys like in doubles. It was a big change for me because I’m not used to playing alone. It was a huge change, but it is fun.”
Sandy was pleased to see the completion of the tennis courts at East Haven High School this spring. After traveling across town to Silver Sands for home matches during the past two seasons, Sandy has enjoyed being back at the same place where she began her high school career.
“I was really happy we got to play at home because we couldn’t play at the courts for about a year and a half,” says Sandy. “It was a very long time because of all the cracks from the snow. It was a hard time communicating and traveling for matches and practice. It was hard on all of us, but I’m glad we got back to the East Haven High School tennis courts to end the year.”
Sandy feels especially glad that she’s picked up tennis in general because she know it’s a game that she can play for the rest of her life.
“It’s a really fun hobby to play with friends. I do like tennis and would like to play through my years because it’s fun,” Sandy says. “I don’t know if I’m ever going to stop playing tennis. It’s a good sport and it’s a passion of mine.”