State tennis berth surprised Xavier’s Sarah Abu-Nameh

CEDAR RAPIDS - Earning a spot in the Class 1A girls' state tennis tournament came as a sweet surprise for Xavier freshman Sarah Abu-Nameh.

On May 18, the Saints competed in a regional meet at Byrnes Park in Waterloo, hoping to punch a ticket to state in singles or doubles play. Abu-Nameh rose to the occasion and will represent the Saints at the state tournament, which begins today in Iowa City.

'At the beginning of the season, I hadn't thought about going to state or even making it to state,” she said. 'I didn't think it was a possibility, I was very surprised.”

In the first round of play, Abu-Nameh defeated Brycelyn Haughey of South Tama, 6-0, 6-1. She then went on to defeat third-seeded Franny Roche of Waterloo Columbus, 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (7-5). Advancing to the semifinals, Abu-Nameh played strong and beat No. 2 seeded Annika Koppes of Iowa Falls, 6-3, 6-0. Although Abu-Nameh suffered a loss against top-seeded Olivia Fain of Waterloo Columbus, 0-6, 1-6, in the finals, her strong effort still earned her the highly coveted spot at state.

'My matches were very tough,” Abu-Nameh said. 'I hadn't ever played at this level of competition and I played all seniors. I was feeling very nervous, but I was in focus.”

While Abu-Nameh's hard work and dedication in the offseason clearly showed in her performance, she could not have accomplished this without the support of her fellow teammates. Being the only freshman on a varsity team is never easy, but Abu-Nameh has embraced this role and looks up to her fellow teammates, junior Nina Marquardt especially.

'She is a very hard worker and always pushes me to be my best,” Abu-Nameh said.

Forming close bonds with teammates beyond the tennis court and celebrating each other's accomplishments was vital to the team dynamic.

'I am very excited for her and proud of Sarah,” Marquardt said. 'She worked very hard at regionals to get herself to state and it was really cool to watch it happen.”

Abu-Nameh is nervous, but thrilled to be competing at state among many talented competitors.