Amid the cool and still October morning air, nerves were on high alert for senior Sreehitha Bollimpalli and her doubles partner, senior Caroline Goldsholl. Yellow tennis balls bounced against the blue concrete turf, interrupting their conversations, but not their flow. Among the nine qualifying players at state, Bollimpalli faced challenges of tough competition and felt gratitude playing her last high school state tennis tournament.
“Qualifying for state was honestly really great,” Bollimpalli said. “Being able to have exposure to play with people who are as passionate about the sport as I am and have so much skill and technique was honestly really amazing for me.”
Because of the intensity of competition for both sides, Bollimpalli emphasized the importance of anticipating her opponents’ next move.
“During the real time of the match, having to strategize while you’re playing and having to dissect the other opponents’ strengths and weaknesses, to recognize what we have to do to defeat them, was kind of difficult but needed,” Bollimpalli said.
A critical moment for the doubles team arose after losing the first set of the match; they had to turn the game around somehow. Through clear and effective collaboration, Bollimpalli and Goldsholl recognized the changes that needed to be made for the second set.
“We were like, ‘Okay, we have to do this. We have to communicate more. We have to be more aggressive. We have to place the ball here. We have to make the depth a little bit deeper,’” Bollimpalli said. “And that’s when we turned around the set, and we did end up getting the second set with a score of 7-6.”
Experiencing these last raw moments of the tennis season led Bollimpalli to reflect on the rewarding impact the sport has played in her life. The skills she has gained from tennis have been influential both on and off the court.
“Tennis has been a mental stress reliever for me in so many ways, and it’s also taught me a lot, and even carried over into my life as a student,” Bollimpalli said. “That kind of critical thinking, perseverance, determination, and mentality of not giving up definitely carries over in many aspects.”
Along the journey of the past four years, Bollimpalli said he is most proud of keeping a positive mindset and persevering through the obstacles. And with that, Bollimpalli advises underclassmen to keep that same positive outlook on the game and make the most out of it without overthinking minor mistakes.
varsity sophomore Ayaan Patil, who reflected on the growth and guidance he gained through the team and tough opponents.
“I would say, besides keeping that optimistic mindset, play to what your strengths are. Don’t try to compare yourself to other players. Just reflect on what you’re good at and don’t worry about, ‘okay, I’m not good at this’, but think about what you can do,” Bollimpalli said. “Don’t try to dwell on mistakes you’ve made in the past, but redirect your thinking into how you can use them as motivation moving forward.”
While Bollimpalli’s time on the court comes to an end, tennis players are already carrying that same drive into the game. A similar sense of competition was brought in by
“Even when you can’t win, every single time you play a match, losses help improve your game,” Patil said. “Working hard and being able to win something definitely improves your confidence, your mentality, and physicality.”
For the past 12 years, tennis has been an important aspect of his life. To land a spot in the 6A State Tournament, Patil won 6-0 against senior Alex Ruiz from Springdale High School. With every loss and win, Patil is excited to learn from his mistakes and grow as a tennis player one serve at a time.
“Qualifying for state meant a lot to me, going out there and competing for the school was very rewarding,” Patil said. “Especially since this is one of the first years in Central’s history that all boys on the varsity team qualified for state.”
Patil’s appreciation for the tournament coincided with his strong performance in the matches, with every serve and rally. Throughout the tournament, the team supported Patil with words of encouragement and motivation to help him perform his best.
“So unfortunately, at state, all the guys lost in the first round. I was the only Tiger standing. But their motivation–their willingness to stay there and keep uplifting me–during the tournament was absolutely unforgettable,” Patil said. “They stayed until I was eliminated. I truly appreciated having a team of support like them, who will keep pushing and supporting me throughout the season.”
