Girls tennis: Sterling’s Aitken makes tough decision, then advances to state for second straight season

Heading into Day 2 of the Class 1A girls tennis sectional in Geneseo, Sterling’s Ellie Aitken had a decision to make – and it’s a decision that no high school sophomore should have to make.

With a celebration of life for her paternal grandparents taking place Saturday in Pittsburgh, Aitken was hoping to secure a spot at this weekend’s state tournament and then be able to default in her final two matches at the sectional and drive with her family to the funeral service.

But Mother Nature got in the way, and Aitken was forced to choose between going to Pittsburgh and passing up an opportunity to make the state tournament or sticking around long enough to qualify for state and missing the funeral.

After talking with her parents – who also happen to be her coaches – she decided to play in her third-round match and head to Pittsburgh later Saturday to be with her family after the funeral.

“I told her it was a great choice because my parents would’ve wanted her to play tennis,” Sterling coach Kip Aitken said, a sentiment echoed confidently by Ellie. “But if she had chosen to skip the sectionals and go to the funeral, I would’ve told her that was a great choice as well. It was all about what she felt she wanted to do, and it worked out well all around.”

After a first-round bye Friday, Aitken defeated Peoria Richwoods’ Lauryn Hudson 6-4, 6-3. But because of rain in the area, her third-round match – essentially a state qualifier, since all four semifinalists earn state berths – was pushed back to Saturday.

Normally, the semifinal matchups are determined by the end of play Friday. But Aitken was in limbo and had a quandary on her hands.

Her parents told her that whatever she chose was the right thing, and once she chose to stay behind, they told her that she had to make sure she kept her focus on playing and not dwell on the decision or regret it once she made it.

She made sure she did just that and rolled to a 6-1, 6-3 win over Peoria Notre Dame’s Niamh Hinderliter in the third round to earn that state berth. She’ll make the trip into the Chicago suburbs for the season finale starting Thursday, where she will play the No. 7 seed, Savannah Webb of Richmond-Burton, in the first round Thursday at Hoffman Estates High School. Webb won the singles title at the Antioch Sectional.

“I had to make the choice Friday, and I didn’t want to lose both. I didn’t want to miss the funeral and lose the match and miss out on state,” Ellie said. “So I kind of had to pick, and I was relieved that I got one of them, because I couldn’t have both. I was super happy that I was able to get at least one.”

After winning the first set, she fell behind 2-0 in the second, and said her mind had started wandering a little bit. But she snapped her focus back and won the next two games to tie it up, and then won four of the next five sets to secure her spot in the semifinals.

She credited her physical game with her play Saturday just as much as her mental game.

“On Saturday, I think my serve and forehand increased; they were better than they were on Friday. I just had a different level of motivation also, and it just kind of helped to push me along,” she said. “Those two things were better than they normally are, which is good. My serves were consistent, which is always good.”

Her father and older sister, Abby, both had their cars at Geneseo, so the cars were unpacked and repacked to allow Kip and Abby to drive to Pittsburgh overnight Friday, and Ellie and her mom stayed in the area to go back to Geneseo on Saturday. They then drove out to Pittsburgh after the sectional Saturday afternoon.

Not only did Ellie have a lot on her mind, but the added tension of having to wait until the next day to qualify for state added to the tough night of sleep. But there was also a positive aspect to it.

“It was kind of nerve-wracking, but at the same time, it was kind of nice because I could recover after my first match and be mentally prepared again for my next one,” she said. “I’d never seen the girl at a dual meet, so it was just kind of nice to have a little bit longer to prepare mentally – but it also was tough having to wait a little longer to play the match.”

A state qualifier last year as a freshman, Aitken was a bit in awe with the sheer size and scope of everything at the state meet. She lost both of her matches, but the experience she gained could be a big factor in her goal to make it to the Day 2 of this year’s meet Friday.

“I definitely know what to do there, and now I know a better focus and what I need to bring to the court. Last year, I just kind of went there and didn’t really know what to expect because it was my first year. Now that I’ve taken it in, I know kind of how to mentally prepare, and the focus I need and what it takes to play well,” she said. “I hope to have a good focus and concentration to hopefully bring me to the second day. The concentration to go with having a consistent serve is my goal, because those are the two most important things in the tennis game.”

Kip Aitken said it’s not just the experience factor at state that plays a role in her performance this weekend, but also the fact that she’s much more comfortable as a high school tennis player this season.

He also pointed to the growth and maturation of her game as a key element fo finding success in the Chicago suburbs.

“Just as a player with another year of experience under her belt, she has a much stronger mental game this year than she did last year. That and an improved serve; those two things specifically are much better than they were last year,” he said. “She also has a more offensive game, whereas last year she just played a steady game, so with a little offense mixed in there as well, that’s also going to help her compete with some of the hitters that she might see in the state tournament.”