If you catch her playing tennis, it’s clear junior Sloane Small has been playing the sport for a long time. Look a little closer, and she bears a resemblance to her older sister, who also played for Center Grove. But, if at any point in the game she’s backed into a corner, you see her as what she is: a force to be reckoned with.
Just ask Franklin or Guerin Catholic or Brownsburg or any of the other teams that faced Center Grove hoping to topple their No. 1 singles player. They’ll tell you the same thing: Small doesn’t just play. She packs a punch.
But, maybe that’s not how Small sees the game. Because while her opponents reel from the misdirection and sleight-of-hand she deals on the court, Small is more focused on playing the way she wants to: clean.
“I feel like I’m not a super big power player; I rely more on my consistency,” Small said. “I feel like when I think of clean tennis, it’s just hitting the ball in as many times as possible in order to win the point.”
It’s simple, but it can be effective. However, what fuels her desire to play clean tennis is the grit she shows while doing it. Despite playing against several higher-ranked opponents, Small has come away with big victories, which she attributes to work she did before the season even began.
“The second half of my sophomore year was when I started to play No. 1 singles, and I really struggled because the level at one singles is really high,” Small said. “Coming into this year, it was good having a little bit of a baseline from last season, and I’ve kind of developed my game. I tried to hit with high-level players outside of season so in-season, it wouldn’t be such a big jump. As this season has progressed, I feel like I realize the level everyone’s playing on, and I’ve been trying to match them and work on the things I need to work on.”
One of the big victories Small has pulled out this season was against Guerin Catholic, where she was favored to lose but still came up with the win, though it was not enough to secure a team win.
“My schedule is just hard,” Small said. “I guess I’m kind of the underdog in a lot of matches, so I feel like just knowing that, I don’t have any real pressure on me; I can just perform. I feel like the effort and grit comes in on that aspect of it, because I’m not always predicted to win, but just putting in everything into the match, I can get really good outcomes, like with Guerin, because even though they’re ranked ahead, just fighting the whole match, I was able to come out with the win.”
The one singles spot, however rewarding, also comes with its challenges.
“I have to tell myself before every match that I have an obligation to rack up a win for the team because we have to win three matches to win,” Small said. “I feel like it is added pressure because I don’t want to rely on anyone else on the team to get the win; I really want to be a part of it. Especially with the one singles spot, since I know the level is so high, there definitely is added pressure.”
One way Small has dealt with some challenges has been through the guidance of her older sister, Peri Small. The elder Small played tennis until she graduated last year and has been a positive influence in the younger Small’s life.
“I stress a lot about tennis, and I feel like it was kind of nice because she was always there to cheer me on. It was also nice because it was like a permanent hitting partner, so outside of practice, if I wanted to hit, she was always willing to come hit with me, so I feel like that was always nice,” Small said.
A big challenge Small had to face in the middle of the season came in the form of Columbus North. While she won a set against senior Aya Saad, she struggled with cramps the rest of the night, eventually having to retire. While marked down as a loss, the matchup taught her something, too.
“I guess that’s just tough because I really wanted to finish it out because it was so close, [and] I knew I had a fair shot at the match,” Small said. “She’s a really good player, so I told myself that I should be proud that [I got] the first set off of her. [It] was a really big deal for me, and so even though I lost the match, looking back on it as a whole, I still played really good tennis.”
Really good tennis, and clean tennis, is what Small will hope to play today in the regional match against Connersville. Although she suffered a loss in the sectional tournament against Franklin, meaning she’s out of the individual tournament, the Trojans have a chance to advance farther than they have in four years.
The thing is, even when she’s out, Small is still alive. Because against Connersville, she’ll have moments where she’s backed into a corner. With the team counting on her for a win, she will have some pressure.
But that’s when Small shines. When faced with a fight, she’ll make sure that if she goes down, she goes down swinging. She’ll make sure her opponents know.
Small packs a punch.
