The official site of the Torch, the student-run newspaper at Glenbrook North High School.

Torch

The official site of the Torch, the student-run newspaper at Glenbrook North High School.

Torch

The official site of the Torch, the student-run newspaper at Glenbrook North High School.

Torch

Team’s newest member has few faults

Top singles player Maddy Kahn rips a backhand over the net. Kahn, a freshman, is the only underclassman on a team of 12. Photo by Daniel Dexter.

It all started with a 4-year-old’s interest in the 20th letter of the alphabet.

“I was looking through a list of sports, and I liked the letter ‘T’,” said top singles player Maddy Kahn. “And then I saw tennis, so I was like, ‘Okay, why not?’”

Eleven years later, Kahn has a 23-6 United States Tennis Association record, as well as a hold on the No. 1 singles spot on the girls varsity tennis team.

Since beginning to play at age four, Kahn said she has been fully dedicated to the game of tennis, mentioning that she has a “very big drive” to play. Over the past three years, she has devoted Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays to one-and-a-half hour private lessons, while leaving Tuesdays and Thursdays open for two hour group lessons.

According to Head Coach Peggy Holecek, “it became obvious in tryouts” that Kahn would play in the top singles spot.

“She hits the ball beautifully,” said Holecek. “She can create points. She’s patient. She moves well. She can volley. She just hits the ball beautifully.”

Captain Anna Zelechonok, a four year member of the varsity tennis team, also had no shortage of praise for the freshman.

“She’s aggressive, but she’s also very consistent,” said Zelechonok. “She can move the other person around the court. She can hit basically wherever she needs to.”

While the 12-person team is composed of 11 upperclassmen, captain Katrine Zhadovich said all the girls “love having a little freshman on the team,” especially one like Kahn.

“She’s so fun to be around,” said Zelechonok through laughter. “She just says things that come out of nowhere and they’re hysterical. Like she says she has a skunk that comes to visit her named señor skunkis.”

With Kahn at No. 1 singles, the team has had a great deal of success, according to Holecek, including a memorable victory against rival Glenbrook South. The team won in a way Holecek had never seen before.

“The [GBS] match was amazing,” said Holecek. “We had to switch the lineup at the last minute. The doubles split sets on every court, and they came back to win all four, which I’ve never seen happen. I mean to have all four split sets and then come back in the third set … we ended up winning 5-2.”

Acknowledging the strength of the team, Zelechonok did not flinch when setting a goal for the team.

“To qualify [two singles players and two doubles teams] all four spots for state,” Zelechonok said.

She and Zhadovich made it to the round of 16 last year after making it to the quarterfinals the year before.

Holecek, however, preferred the “one-step-at-a-time” approach.

“Our team goal is to win conference and that takes every girl on our team,” said Holecek. “When they take the court, they have to have that mentality of, ‘Why not me today? Why can’t I win this today?’ Regardless of who you’re playing, ‘Why not me?’”