After placing second at the district tournament for girls singles, freshman Kimberly Tran moved on to the UIL Region II tournament April 18-19 in Waco. Tran won her second and third sets, but during her second match, she lost to another strong opponent.

Overall, Tran and coach Janie Samreth consider the regional competition as an enriching experience.

“The regional tournament will be a new experience for me as a freshman,” Tran said. “I look forward to leading new tennis players and making new friends.”

At regionals, Tran faced juniors and seniors from various schools. She is the first Mav tennis player to compete at regionals since 2011. She looked forward to gaining invaluable experience regarding her tennis skills as well as interacting with other talented individuals.

“Kimberly’s success brought a lot of hope and optimism to the team,” Coach Samreth said. “I expect her to go to finals next year and hopefully to state.”

Tran’s success is a mark of not only her talent, but also her hard work and determination. Her first round at regionals lasted five hours due to rain, yet she managed to win her second set by a score of 7-3 and her third set 6-4.

However, Tran faced an opponent with a strong forearm during her second match. Despite the loss, Tran remained optimistic and watched the semi-final and final matches as a way to study for next year’s competition.

“It was challenging to practice four to five times a week,” Tran said. “I’m going to develop a stronger game because I know that there will be many skilled athletes in the future.”

Along with her varsity teammates, Tran trained thoroughly in hopes of succeeding at challenging matches. As the best mav girls’ singles player, Tran contributed significantly to the team’s practices as well as its victories. She focused on her strengths and weakness during practices and helped others find their own strengths.

“[Tran] has set the bar high, but it also shows the rest of our team and those to follow that regionals is attainable with a lot of hard work and dedication,” Samreth said. “That’s the formula for success.”