By Alana Pires and Hannah Engel – Staff Reporters

Junior Isabella Gecaj is the #2 singles player on the Jonathan Law girls tennis team. Advocate Staff Reporters Alana Pires and Hannah Engel interviewed Gecaj about the girls tennis season.

Alana Pires: How has the season gone for you so far?

Isabella Gecaj: The season for me and the team has gone great. We have 11 wins, which we will continue to add to within the next week.

AP: What were some of your goals for the season?

IG: Some of my personal goals for the season were to make states as a team but also individually and to work on my mindset in games. Last year, my season went great but it could’ve been better had I not been so hard on myself, so this year my main goal was to have fun and just play in the moment and not worry about the result. So long as I put in the effort then I’ve done all I can.

AP: What has tennis taught you?

IG: Tennis has taught me many things such as patience and communication. I was never the most patient person and tennis has really helped me with pacing myself and taking things step by step. But also with communicating with teammates, cheering them on and talking in the middle of the game for doubles matches. That way me and my partner have a strategy and don’t have any built up frustration, be it from our opponents or our own mistakes.

AP: How have you grown since when you first started?

IG: I think I’ve grown a lot since when I first started on the team. I played doubles that year and was a nervous freshman and was far from a confident player. Now, I play singles and am a lot more confident. Not because I think I am better than my opponent, but because I have trust in my skill and that’s all I can rely on going into a match. I also communicate a lot more with my teammates. Even though my games are solo, they are great supporters and always know how to push me to play even better.

AP: What are some of the goals you and your team have achieved?

IG: Some goals our team has achieved is that we are going to states. We are super excited to play against other schools and see how far we can go. And we also beat Lauralton Hall, a Tier 1 school that Law girls tennis has never beaten before. That was super cool and I’m grateful to have been a part of that achievement.