Thirty-one.
That’s how many wins St. Anthony junior Emily Kowalke claimed this past season for the Bulldogs en route to helping her team win a Class 1A sectional championship.
Overall, Kowalke — the 2022 Effingham Daily News Girls Tennis Singles Player of the Year — finished with a 31-7 mark in dual matches.
“She had one match she had to overcome,” head coach Darlene Esker said. “She only lost in tournaments.”
Esker added that becoming a stronger doubles player helped that singles record, too.
Kowalke mostly played doubles with freshman Liv Hoene.
“She wanted to be stronger in doubles, so we worked on that, and she did much better,” Esker said. “That helped her in singles play because it made her realize that the ball is always in play. You know where it will always go in singles, whereas, in doubles, it depends on who picks it up and puts it somewhere.”
Kowalke finished with a 16-3 record in doubles matches.
What made Kowalke so effective in both singles and doubles play, though, was her strong serve and baseline play, according to her coach.
“Her serve is one of the better ones; it’s hard to return, and her baseline play. She does not want to go to the net,” Esker said. “She can if she has to, but she would rather play baseline. She’s got that baseline shot that goes into the corner on the other side, and that usually gets her a lot of points.”
Esker continued by stating Kowalke’s improved ability of not giving up on any shot and staying true to her movement as factors toward her season, too.
Together, Esker and Kowalke worked on both a lot during the offseason.
“[I told] her that the point is never over. If you make a good shot, don’t admire it, always be ready for the next shot,” Esker said. “Her movement, left-to-right, needed more work. Whenever we practiced, I would make her play against two people. That way, she had to go left to right quicker and keep the ball in play.”
Emily also had the luxury of working with her sister, Allison, too.
“We practiced together to work on her weakness, strengths, and game plans,” Allison said. “We are hoping to work more next summer to get her even more ready for her season next year. I think she did great and tried to follow the advice from many different people. I was excited to watch her play in sectionals and dominate the competition.”
GET TO KNOW EMILY
What was your favorite moment from the season? “My favorite moment from the season was winning sectionals, which isn’t a shocker, but it felt good after so many hours of hard work.”
What was the funniest moment from the season? “The funniest moment from the season was during our first tournament in Champaign. We traveled there to find out it was canceled due to the weather, but the girls and I still had fun running around in the rain.”
What is your routine before, during, and after matches? “My routine before a match consists of packing my bag and some snacks, of course, and hyping myself up. During my match, I try to have fun and take deep breaths to keep myself focused. Then, after my match, win or lose, I enjoy some ice cream to celebrate good playing.”
What is your favorite sport besides cross country? “My newfound favorite sport is ping-pong, which I’m good at; I also enjoy roller-skating, but it may not be considered a sport.”
What is your favorite restaurant? “Joe’s Pizza & Pasta.”
If you won the lottery, what would you do with your winnings? “If I won the lottery, I would buy a new car, and — as a stereotypical tennis player — I would buy an indoor tennis court.”
I need concert tickets to… “Taylor Swift.”