Owensboro Catholic’s Ella Cason expanded on her early start with the Lady Aces during her freshman season, helping become the Owensboro Times 2022 Girls Tennis Player of the Year.
“This honor means a lot to me,” Cason said. “I’ve worked very hard on my tennis this year and having it be recognized is a nice energy boost for me as I’m continuing in my off season events and then into the next high school season.”
Cason grabbed a regional title as an eighth grader for Owensboro Catholic and most recently followed it up with a second regional title in the 2022 campaign. She credited her support system for helping her continue to succeed, thanking her parents and teammates for all they do for her.
“I would say the people around me have helped me elevate my game, especially my family and teammates,” Cason said. “My parents are very supportive and take me to Evansville a couple times a week for swing lessons and clinics with a range of players.”
She expanded on the appreciation for her teammates, saying that the time she spent with them off the court were some of the parts of this season that she’ll cherish the most.
“Some of my favorite moments from the season would be from the time spent with my teammates,” Cason said. “We made it a point to grab dinner together after most practices and matches to just hang out and relax, which was always a lot of fun.”
Cason grabbed a 6-3, 6-0 win to secure the regional championship this season, before later advancing to the Sweet 16 at State. While she didn’t exactly reach her goal at state, it’s only made her want to return to it even more.
“I was hoping to make it to the fourth round in state, which is one more than last year,” Cason said. “In the end I lost in the third round against a tough opponent and overall I was proud of my performance. “That being said, it has pumped me up to work even harder coming into next year’s state.”
Cason said that receiving the honor is something that will be a big motivator going forward, noting that she has a few things she wants to work on specifically to improve before starting her sophomore season.
“Just like every other athlete, we strive to get better every year,” Cason said. “As I said earlier, my unforced errors were my weakness. If I can improve that going into next season, I will have successfully improved my tennis game.”
Cason said that as well as improving her game physically, she hopes to become a crucial leader for the team. With Head Coach Noel Clayton at the helm, she believes she has the right people around her to take that next step.
“Going into next season I want to try to keep my team as close as it was last season and I want to thank Owensboro Catholics coach, Noel Clayton, for being a great leader and pushing us to be the best we can be,” Cason said. “I also want to thank our passing seniors who made my freshman high school experience memorable.”
