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Hunt-Bauman Leads the Warriors in More Ways Than One

Emma Hunt-Bauman worked her way up the ladder to earn the No. 1 singles position for the Valley Regional girls’ tennis team in her senior year. In addition to leading the way for the Warriors’ singles lineup, Emma also led the squad as one of its senior captains this spring.

Emma relishes the responsibility that comes with being a captain. She enjoys helping her teammates, especially the underclass athletes who are trying earn their spot on the court. As long as she keeps the game fun for everyone, Emma believes that she’s doing her job.

“I’m there for the girls to support them and be welcoming to them. I want everyone to try their best and give it their all,” Emma says. “Most importantly, I want everyone to have fun and love this sport.”

In her freshman year, Emma played No. 2 doubles alongside her best friend Ellie Flynn, who’s now a senior captain with Emma. Together, the duo posted an undefeated record, which Emma describes as her biggest accomplishment at Valley.

Emma moved to No. 4 singles the next year, played No. 2 as a junior, and then held down the top spot for Head Coach Sally Riggio’s club during the recent season. Riggio says that one of Emma’s greatest strengths is her ability to lead the Warriors by effectively communicating with her teammates.

“Emma has been a tremendous asset to the team both on and off the court. She’s a natural leader and well respected by all her peers,” says Riggio. “Emma is the No. 1 and sees the best of the best every match. She is a true competitor and embraces the opportunity to compete. I will miss her next year, and I know she will be successful in anything she chooses to pursue.”

Emma believes that her serve is the strongest part of her game. During a volley, she likes to play aggressively and go after points by working her way up to the net.

“My strongest suit is my serve for sure. After that, I’m good at reading the other player. I can tell if they’ll just be a backboard or if they’re aggressive,” Emma says. “Typically, I like to play aggressively. I try to just go cross court, cross court, come up to net, and put it away.”

Emma often faces opponents who try to sit on the back line and wait for unforced errors to decide the match. Emma will play a more defensive style when that happens, but she still isn’t shy about approaching the net.

“When they are trying to just be a backboard, you just have wing it,” says Emma, an Essex resident. “Typically, in that situation, I try to do the same thing and wait until they mess up. Say they hit a short ball to my forehand, I’ll try to come up to net and put it away.”

Emma spends a good amount of time on the court during the offseason. Emma’s family has a summer home in southern Maine, where she gets to play on clay courts. It’s a completely different feel, but Emma prefers the clay surface.

“I play throughout the spring and the summer, and I play in Maine in the summer,” Emma says. “Summer is basically my training. I play on clay, and it’s a different surface than the [hard-court surface] at Valley. I like playing on clay better. You can read the lines easier, and the ball leaves a mark.”

As much as she loves playing tennis, Emma also likes watching the sport on television, especially her favorite player Roger Federer. On the women’s side, she enjoys watching Jelena Ostapenko. Emma takes some of her cues from the way those players perform on the court.

“I love the aggression and excitement. Roger has been an influence to a lot of people. He’s getting older, yet he’s still one of the best,” says Emma, who will attend Auburn University in Alabama this fall. “When I’m watching them, I try to think of my serve, how to better my serve, and how they come through the ball.”

Emma thanks Coach Riggio, her summer coach Alex Skinner, Valley Regional Athletic Director Jeff Swan, and all of her friends for their support through the years. Most of all, though, Emma thanks her parents. Emma’s father, William Christopher Hunt, passed away during the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Emma says that her mother Jennifer and adoptive father John Bauman have always been tremendously supportive of her.

“They’ve been really great to me, and they’ve done so much for me. John adopted me after I lost my father in 9-11. John has taken me in, and I can’t be thankful enough about that,” Emma says. “My mom has been the best person in my life. She’s my greatest influence. She’s the strongest person I know. She’s my rock. I’m going to miss them so much next year.”