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07/16/2024 11:23 AMSophia Bonanno originally just had tennis as a secondary sport and hobby when it came to her athletic upbringing. Yet her heart and drive to improve and succeed within the sport over time allowed her to clamor to the court and serve up some great successes.
The Valley Regional junior grew up with soccer before beginning tennis lessons at the age of 6 after the encouragement of her parents. Sophia then picked up a grander passion for tennis during COVID and joined the Warriors squad her freshman year.
As part of the No. 2 doubles team with sophomore Ella Smith, the junior helped lead the Warriors on a memorable and valiant run all the way to the Class S State Tournament finals in a campaign that saw Valley finish 15-3 overall. With an undefeated regular season, the pair nabbed All-Shoreline Team accolades as well.
“I did a lot of offseason training. I played with my teammates and my family, and I also did fall and winter club teams with several racquet clubs,” says Sophia. “The racquet club teams pushed me because you are playing against a lot of girls that are the No. 1 players on high school teams. With tennis, I loved how you can really see the improvements when you put the time and effort in; it is an amazing thing to see, and the improvements I made from freshman to sophomore year showed me I was capable of being a good player.”
As part of a package deal, Sophia knows that doubles is about staying on point for not only yourself. She explains that her work in the cooler months had put her mind on solo action. Though thanks to her rigorous training and cohesion with her partner, it was a season that will not soon be forgotten.
“In playing doubles, it is not always fun and games because you really have to focus on yourself and your partner,” Sophia says. “Ella is one of my best friends, and we work well together. I had my mindset like I was playing singles from all my offseason playing by myself, so it was a little hard to switch to doubles at first because there is a lot of net play involved. But the way Ella and I connected was so positive; we never got mad at each other or down on each other. We never backed down, and it was a great experience.”
When it came to in-house competition to set the team ladder for the year, Sophia tried to just stay in the moment and not overthink things too much. As she has upped her game, so have her adversaries, and so she just maintains an even keel and keeps on pounding.
“I did struggle at times with not getting in my head, especially when it came to being in the matches to determine the starting roster spots,” says Sophia. “I feel that the better I have gotten, so has the competition. I just tell myself to just push through and focus on where I need to be and where to hit the ball.”
Sophia garners a great deal of gusto when it comes to the ferocity of her shots, including a signature forehand fire. She details that conversely, her backhand could use some fine-tuning, yet her strength and stamina can carry her through any predicament.
“I am an aggressive baseline player, so I can hit long shots from the back. I feel that being at the baseline, my forehand is my greatest strength,” Sophia says. “My backhand is not as good, but I certainly put power into it. I think the biggest parts of my game and skill set are my strength with the racquet and my athletic ability.”
Valley girls’ tennis Head Coach Sage Novak could think of no one better to appoint as a senior captain for next spring than Sophia. She is truly a student of the game with an infectious enthusiasm about it, while being so willing to make any sacrifice for her squad.
“Sophia is such a lovely person, and I am thrilled she will be one of the captains next year. She has a very kind demeanor and works well with everyone on the team, across all grades. She is enthusiastic and hard-working and consistently shows up to do her best. She truly loves the game of tennis and works very hard to improve her skills all year long,” says Novak. “After practices, she never left without asking if I needed help with anything, and she has a selfless way about her that makes her an excellent teammate and leader. She has played both singles and doubles on the team in her three seasons and has always been a team player in that she will do whatever her coach needs her to do because she knows it is best for the success of the team. She is a great role model as a student and as a player, and I know she will help lead this team to great success in the 2025 tennis season.”
The Warriors had several question marks as the offseason neared its final weeks, namely who would be the mentor guiding the girls. Still, the answer proved to be part of a winning equation for Valley, with a close-knit club and committed coach equating to a state finals berth.
“The team this year was amazing and was completely different from my prior years,” says Sophia. “It was only about a month before the season that we found out we got Coach Novak, and she made this year so great. Our team was also very well-balanced and connected. The bond between the girls was amazing. Our coach’s motivation and care for us was great. We would not have gone as far as we did without all those factors.”
Looking ahead to her senior season with the Warriors, Sophia and her club are ready to get right back to that championship center stage and avenge the defeat. They also want to keep the overall momentum moving with additional recognition at the conference level.
“My goal in high school was to be an All-Shoreline player, and I accomplished that. But as a team, our goal is to make it back to the state final and win it,” says Sophia. “It may not have shown in the final team score, but we were so close in that final this year. The entire team would also like to see more girls win singles and doubles titles for the Shoreline Tournaments. We just want to keep going as a group.”