Emily Overton is a 4-year varsity tennis player. She has occupied the 1 singles spot on the team since sophomore year and before that was set as 2 singles. She has earned all-league and all-academic honors for each season she has played on the team. Along with this, she earned the Felicia Nip Award, which is an award given to the player who displays outstanding performance on and off the court. At leagues last year, she received the silver medal in her respective spot. She has demonstrated dedication and courage throughout her years in both tennis and school. 

What are you excited for this senior season?

I’m really excited to play some of my rivals from last year, I know that I have a better chance at winning all of my matches because I worked hard in the off-season. I’m also excited to spend my last year of high school tennis playing and making new memories with some of my best friends.

What are your plans beyond high school?

I plan on going to Michigan State University to major in animal science on track to be a veterinarian. While I’m there I’m going to try out for their club tennis team, so I can continue tennis on a more difficult level. 

What is the most memorable part of being on the tennis team?

The most memorable part of being on this team is after everybody finishes their matches, and we’re all watching that one really close match that is still happening. Everybody gets really involved and supportive and it is just really fun to get excited about tennis with the whole team. 

What motivates you to do better in games?

What motivates me to do better in games is the thought of helping the team. If I win this match then it is one step closer to helping the team win the whole thing. I also want to be undefeated in league matches, so if I work really hard and put everything into each point, I will have a better chance at getting more match experience in order to win more matches.

How do you balance school and sports at the same time?

In the beginning of the season every year, it is really difficult to have a good balance of completing homework after you just played 2 hours of tennis. It is usually very overwhelming at first, but after a while you start to get used to it. I usually just try to push through and finish all my homework right after tennis so I’ll still have time to relax and do other things.

Who do you find as an inspiration in the field of tennis?

My biggest inspiration in tennis is Iga Swiatek, she is number 1 in the world and I really look up to her style of play. I try to watch all of her matches so I can learn how to maneuver better on the court. I really relate to her as a person because in interviews she is just so real and says what she wants without having to worry about being completely professional the entire time. 

Do you have any pre-game rituals?

Before a match, I always stretch a specific way and if I don’t do that then I’ll feel off the entire game. I also like to warm up on a specific side when we are playing a home match. 

What are your goals for this season?

My main goal for this season is to be more consistent, if I have bad days I want to be able to get myself into the correct mindset in order to play at my best. Another goal for the season is to win leagues. I have come pretty close in my previous seasons, but after working hard all off-season to be better, I think that I have a very good chance at winning.

What inspired you to play tennis?

In the summer of 8th grade, all my friends would play tennis for fun, so we played and I ended up really enjoying it. I picked it up pretty quickly and kept wanting to get better so I could make the varsity team as a freshman. We ended up playing a couple times a week and got good enough to make the varsity team.

What other hobbies do you enjoy outside of tennis?

Outside of tennis, I like to play golf with my brother, and one of my favorite things to do is watch movies. I’m doing this challenge where I watch over 366 movies in the year of 2024, and it’s going very well, I’m right on track.