Caroline Coan comes from a tennis-playing family and a York program with some recent success on the state tournament stage.

She made history this fall.

Coan in October beat top-seeded Helena Klooster of Marist 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-4 in a marathon Class 2A final to win the state singles championship.

It is the first state championship in York tennis history. Last year, Coan’s former teammate Lizzie Isyanov was the state runner-up.

Coan’s thrilling victory at state capped off quite a season.

She posted a 31-2 record and did not lose a match after Sept. 10. Coan won the West Suburban Silver No. 1 singles title and sectional singles championship, giving her a 90-19 record over three seasons.

She was second to Klooster at the Downers Grove South tournament. Coan beat her good friend Lucy Stein of Oak Park-River Forest three times this season, and all three matches were competitive, including a 7-5, 6-1 win in the state semifinals.

For her accomplishments, York junior Caroline Coan is the Suburban Life Girls Tennis Player of the Year.

Here is Coan’s Q&A with Sports Editor Joshua Welge.

So your coach noted that you didn’t lose a match after September 10. Did a switch turn on, any adjustments?

Coan: I focused on my serve, and it was working much better in the second half of the season, I was focusing on improving it a lot at practice.

Can you speak to the challenge of winning six matches at state over three days? It seems physically and mentally taxing.

Coan: It was difficult but I play a lot of USTA tournaments, which are long and helped me deal with six tough matches.

Is there anything you do to keep a mental edge in a match like that championship?

Coan: In these types of matches I always have to focus on each point whether I won or lost the previous one.

Coach mentioned you missed a tournament with an injury? What was the injury, how much time did you miss and how did you overcome it?

Coan: I had some tendinitis in my wrist. After a couple of days of rest, it got much better.

You had to beat the girl from OPRF for a third time in the semifinals. How challenging was that?

Coan: Lucy [Stein] is a friend of mine who I train with. She and I know each other’s game styles well. Every match is a battle, and it’s great that we can push each other to be better.

How has having tennis in the family helped you? How big is the sport in your family?

Coan: My mom plays tennis as well as my sister, so I always have someone to hit with!

Did you feel like you took your game to another level this year? 31-2 is pretty darn good!

Coan: I trained hard all summer to get ready for the high school season, and it paid off!

Might have asked before, do you know your post high school plans? Academically and/or athletically.

Coan: Yes! I plan on playing college tennis, and I’m just starting to get into the recruiting process.