By Christopher Tremblay. Staff Sports Writer

As a field hockey and basketball player Sutton’s Katerina Quill was not only looking for something to do during her free time in the spring, but she also wanted to try something totally out of the ordinary. Eventually she settled on giving tennis a try.

“I was just looking for something to do in the spring, but I wanted it to be something that I had never done before,” Quill said. “I had some friends who played tennis and figured that it would be a nice relaxing sport, but soon found it was very physical as well as mental.”

Despite not being what she originally thought the sport would be she did find that she enjoyed playing the sport and decided to stick with it. Here entire life she played sports that were team oriented the then freshman found that she was more at ease playing an individual sport and definitely like the change of pace on the tennis courts.

Although the sport was not what she had thought it was when she signed up, she eventually overcame the mental aspect of the game and it did become a calming sport for her to take part in. However, that relaxing atmosphere would take time. As a freshman she not only made the varsity team for the Suzie’s, but she was the team’s third singles starter.

“That first year I had absolutely no knowledge what so ever of the sport of tennis,” she recalled. “I couldn’t tell you what I was expecting as I didn’t know the game.”

Having taken part in field hockey for years Quill noted that the sport entailed a lot of physicality and movement on the field while always communicating; it was all based around team unity. Tennis, she quickly found out was much more strategic. 

Playing third singles as a freshman she found that she was not able to win a lot of her matches. 

“Losing a majority of my matches that year was very discouraging, but it just made me want to work harder,” she said. “While I only had a few wins, I found that a lot of my losses were my fault due to mistakes that I was making allowing my opponents to get points.”

Knowing that she didn’t have a strong game, Quill began working continuously on her strokes, hits and serves; things were a challenge to the newcomer, but she continued to work on her game while improving.

Playing basketball and field hockey had given her the speed and agility to allow her to get to the net quicker and with precision. Improvement continue to come with the more that she played the game and although she liked playing singles, she was moved into the first doubles tandem during her second season, where she has played the past two seasons along side Laura Sullivan. 

Sullivan was a year older than Quill and had previously played the sport, so she was a big influence on Quill’s ascension though the sport. 

“Playing doubles, I immediately found that I really loved it much more than playing singles,” Quill said. “Having a partner instead of being on the court all alone was so much better and while it was a totally different game I was enjoying it. We seemed to work well together, pushed each other, and knew not to get down as we’d get the next one.”

Sutton girls tennis coach Mike Zagame believes that Quill doesn’t try to do too much but seems to be in the right spot all the time.

“She’s a very consistent and detail-oriented player, which helps her considerably when she’s playing in the doubles format,” the Coach said. “Over the years her confidence has increased and although she is a very quiet individual, she definitely lets her game do her talking.”

Zagame went on to say that Quill has a powerful shot that allows her to take calculated risks and her ground strokes and serves have become phenomenal this past season.

When she returns back to school later in the year, she will be a senior taking part in her final seasons with Sutton and although that is something all high school students look forward to, Quill will be without her partner for the past two years and is unsure of what the future holds for her on the tennis courts.

“With Laura graduating I’m not sure where I will be playing next year. I’m hoping that I return to doubles, but I will be open to wherever the Coach puts me,” the rising senior said. “I’d prefer doubles as that’s where I’ve played the last two years and I’ve gotten used to it.”

Quill may be hoping to returning to doubles, but her Coach is unsure of what the new season will bring.

“With her senior partner gone, there will be an opening on the first doubles team.” Zagame said. “I am not sure what I am going to do – do I keep her here or move her up to singles?”

Having such a dilemma will leave Zagame scratching his head over the next nine months before the girls all return next spring. One thought that has crossed his mind is that Quill has a younger sister, who as a freshman this year played second doubles – could she be a fit with her older sister? The Sutton Coach will not know until next spring when the team reassembles and then and only then will he know what he has and who may or may not mesh. 

In the meantime, Quill knows that she will continue to work on her basics during the off-season while also train on different aspects of playing singles or doubles once they return for the season next spring. Singles or doubles, she believes that she be ready for whatever the coach eventually decides is best for the team.