In high school tennis, players can choose to focus on singles or doubles.

During her career at Trinity Lutheran High School, Allison Hackman said she preferred having a partner on the court.

“You always have someone else to back you up in case you miss a ball,” she said. “It’s a lot more rewarding because if you get a kill, then they’re just excited about it as you are. You lift each other up, even if the other person is down.”

This past spring was Hackman’s second season playing No. 1 doubles for the Cougars.

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In that position, she said communication is crucial.

“We have to make sure, when we’re playing, that if one of us thinks it is out that we yell ‘watch it’ or if it’s on her side of the court and she’s not going to be able to get to it, she yells ‘help me’ or something,” she said. “Communication is definitely important in doubles.”

Hackman said it depended on opponents as to how much she could learn about them during warmups.

“Some girls will put it all out there. They’ll hit their hardest serves, and with that, it’s really nice because you can tell how hard they serve,” she said. “But some girls hold back in that, so I never want to take that warmup too literally. You can expect this girl to have a weak serve, and then she starts playing, and she’s got a killer serve. You’ve got to make sure you’re expecting that. You have to try to play to your advantages.”

Winning the first set is helpful in tennis, Hackman said. But early in the season at New Washington, she and partner Maddie Lucas lost the first set before coming back and winning the next two.

“It just depends on who your partner is,” she said. “If you drive with your partner, I don’t think it really matters what sets you win as long as you pick yourself up after that. Some people get down on themselves after that first set. For me, each set is a new game.”

Hackman is right-handed and played on the right side of the court. Lucas was her partner for most of the season, and she is left-handed and plays on the left. Hackman said that enabled them to play to their strengths.

She said her forehand is stronger than her backhand.

“I’m definitely getting better hitting lines and alleys,” she said.

Tennis players also have to adjust to the elements, particularly wind.

“You try to adjust to it as best you can, but you never know when that big gust of wind is going to come, so if you’re going to hit it, you’ve got to hit hard in the wind,” Hackman said. “You can’t do any lobs or anything because they’re just going to get blown away. You just have to hit it hard and low.”

Hackman only played tennis her final two years of high school. Before that, she competed in track and field.

“I thought it looked like fun,” she said of tennis. “The team is definitely more unified than track.”

This year’s team consisted of a lot of players new to the sport.

“I love the game, but it’s a lot to get used to,” Hackman said. “The most mistakes I make is when I’m down on myself. If you’re nagging at yourself all the time, you’re never going to have a good game. You have to pump yourself up, like, ‘I’m going to get this one.’”

A positive attitude goes a long way, she said.

“You don’t just have to do that to yourself, you have to do that to your partner, too,” she said of tennis. “That was definitely a big thing in volleyball, as well. Girls would get down on themselves all the time, and that is when they would start shanking balls. I think in every sport, you have to faith in yourself, and really, in anything you do in life.”

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Name: Allison Hackman

School: Trinity Lutheran High School

Parents: Tom and Ruth Hackman

Siblings: Megan, Jacquelyn and Victor

Sports: Tennis, two years; volleyball, three years; track and field, two years

Home matches: “I like them. Our courts are great. It’s really nice having our own courts. They were new last year.”

Favorite away courts: “Brown County has great courts.”

Attending TLHS: “I love Trinity. I think the best part is the friends I’ve made. I went to Lutheran Central, and most of my friends went to Brownstown. I’ve made so many new friends here, and we get to talk about God. We talk in English, we talk in biology and God is there the whole way through. You can say it and you can have a discussion, and I think that makes you so much stronger in your faith.”

Organizations: Student government, dance committee, National Honor Society, FFA, Student Ambassadors, Art Club, 4-H

Plans: Attend Purdue University

Favorite food: Shrimp chimichanga

Favorite TV show: “The Vampire Diaries”

Favorite singer/musician: Maroon 5

Favorite movie: “A Walk to Remember”

Favorite books: “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society”

Favorite quote: “Even to your old age and gray hairs, I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you, and I will carry you. I will sustain you, and I will rescue you.” Isaiah 46:4

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