by Eva Araujo, photography editor

The Roar spoke to freshman Lauryn Scruggs to discuss her experiences on the varsity tennis team.

How long have you been playing tennis?

About a year and a half.

Why did you start playing?

Well, I quit competitive soccer and just needed another sport to play to fill my time and tennis looked fun.

What’s your favorite part about tennis?

It’s an individual sport. You don’t really play on a team. I don’t like depending on other people for how well we do.

What’s the hardest workout you do in practice to prepare for your matches?

We haven’t done a lot yet, but probably hill climbs, because it’s really hard to sprint up a hill.

Who is your inspiration on the team?

Bethany Anderson, because she has a positive attitude all the time. Even when she doesn’t do well in a match.

Do you ever feel stressed while playing tennis and juggling school?

All the time. When you’re on the court, you know how much homework you have and all the stuff you have to get done, and you know how long you are going to be out there practicing, and it’s just hard to focus. Definitely, you have to have patience when you are playing people that make a lot of balls.

How does it feel to be a freshman on a varsity team?

I mean its pretty cool. It’s kind of weird, though, because I don’t know  about all the traditions of varsity yet.