Many times in our lives, when we are hit with disappointing news, what defines us is not the circumstance itself but rather the road of response we choose. For Abi Alexander, the sophomore showed a maturity beyond her years by making the most of things and staying close to her court colleagues.

The incoming Valley Regional junior admits she was not much into sports growing up, but she did play softball and practiced martial arts as a kid. After starting in tennis with lessons during elementary school, Abi was determined to join the Warriors upon entering high school.

After battling through injuries last year and this spring, she was given some tough news that she would not be able to compete for the Warriors this season as a sophomore. Yet she made the most of it and stayed connected with the girls by assuming the role of team manager. Abi served as a critical cog in Valley’s sensational ride to the Class S State Tournament finals.

“I love how the sport is both an individual one and a team one. You can also learn a lot about your skills through contributing to a team. I also felt myself becoming more confident through playing and developing skills,” says Abi. “I had a very short freshman year after dealing with injuries, and it was sad when I learned I could not play this year. Yet I was so grateful to be the manager. It was nice to still connect with the team. It was rewarding to me because I was still around the team and my friends. It was beneficial to the team because we grew so much in numbers in 2024, and so it helped ease the stress of the team and our coach.”

In terms of the day-to-day operations and obligations for Abi at her post, she had to deal with a great deal of logistics and organizing team events. Yet there was a ton of fun spliced in the experience as well, as she got to physically capture the emotional chain between the girls.

“I would organize Google docs to help organize events,” says Abi. “The biggest challenge was trying to keep track of everything because the team was so large this year. I would have to keep track of assigning who was bringing what food to team dinners, or making sure everyone signed a card for the seniors for Senior Day. One of my favorite parts this season was taking photos of the team. They’re some of my favorite pictures and really capture the emotions and bond between everyone. It taught me a lot about time management. I did whatever our coach asked, and I enjoyed it.”

The girls truly exemplified the importance of teamwork and camaraderie to Abi. She saw through it all that action between the baselines may involve singular people more often than not, but Valley is certainly not a selfish group.

“This team really bonded in a way that was special to watch. I loved supporting them, and having an understanding coach was also great,” Abi says. “The entire experience was amazing. Seeing the closeness among us showed further that tennis is not just an individual sport.”

The CIAC girls’ tennis state tournaments are always a grind with a number of high-pressure matches in a condensed number of days, compounded even more when Mother Nature throws a curveball. Still, Abi recalls the girls logged many miles and used it to harness their focus and heart even more.

“The rain during states was challenging for us because we had to drive to Litchfield two times to finish a match,” says Abi. “We all talked on those bus rides about strategies for the match. It also helped that everyone was so calm and supportive. I was very proud of the effort from them. It showed not only the closeness of the team, but also a bright future ahead.”

First-year Valley girls’ tennis Head Coach Sage Novak explains that Abi had an added asset by serving as a sort of medium between herself and the players. She adds that Abi took to the job and situation with aplomb and the right attitude, no matter what each day entailed.

“As a brand new coach, having Abi at my side was invaluable. It was her second season with the team, and she was able to give me perspective from the athletes' viewpoints,” says Novak. “Abi was a dedicated and loyal team manager. She embraced her new role with great enthusiasm and almost never missed a practice. In the beginning of the season, when the weather was less than pleasant, she was always there with a smile and ready to help. Not being able to play, it was hard for her to stay warm in the colder conditions, but she was a trooper! Abi regularly took attendance at practices, which was one less thing I had to worry about. She definitely was right there the whole season and always willing to help in any way she could.”

While only halfway through her time with Valley, Abi has asserted herself as an integral piece of the team and an impactful person to her teammates. While she knows the road ahead for the Warriors looks quite promising, she now has a good foundation of prep work for her future aspirations.

“I gained friendships that will last a lifetime,” Abi says. “The main reason I became manager was because the seniors really wanted me to still be on the team. I am so grateful for the people brought into my life through this team. I plan to be a social worker, so being a manager and responsible for certain things was good preparation for that line of work.”