Xavier’s Curley focused on state tennis

CEDAR RAPIDS - With four returning four varsity members and the addition of two freshmen, the Xavier boys' tennis team has a lot of experience.

Seniors Ben Curley and Jack VonKampen return, along with junior Grant Gibney and sophomore Blake Magill. Sophomore Charlie Esker also has earned a varsity spot this year along with freshmen Jon Lansing and Alex Hinrichs.

Curley, Xavier's No. 1 singles player, has high hopes of state this year.

'My goal is to try and get to state as an individual and get past substate as a team,” Curley said.

Curley has been playing tennis for eight years, starting in fifth grade. Being one of the most experienced players, he leads by example by not only showing up to practice, but also practicing on his own with friends.

Along with being competitive, Curley also makes the sport fun. Playing with VonKampen since seventh grade, the two have a great friendship that has been fueled by their love for tennis.

'My favorite memory would be one of our matches from the eighth grade,” VonKampen said. 'We were playing after school and had a match that basically never ended. The line calls got pretty intense.”

With Saturdays entailing multiple tournament matches and even longer van rides, Curley and VonKampen are lucky to have a friendship that allows them to be competitive together.

Although graduation is approaching, Curley is focused on the regular season with hopes to advance to the state tournament, which starts May 29.