Murphy was at the heart of Generals’ success on courts

  • brian questel
  • November 10, 2011
  • 325
                        
111718 SamiMurphy Promo: Move to Wooster pays off as Murphy wraps up solid career on tennis courts Murphy was at the heart of Generals’ success on courts By Brian Questel When a team has a successful season, it generally starts at the top. That was the case for the Wooster High girls’ tennis team this past fall as the Generals finished the year with a 14-3 mark overall and were runner-up in the Ohio Cardinal Conference with a 6-1 ledger. Helping pave the way for Wooster was a 4-year transplant, Sami Murphy, who posted an 18-7 record this past fall to wind up a strong career as a General. She was a welcome addition for tennis coach Stan Burris when she arrived on campus in the summer of 2008. When Murphy looked at her options entering high school, she was an athlete without a sport, as Hillsdale High School did not offer tennis. When she decided tennis was the sport she wanted to play, it was clear she wasn’t going to fly with the Falcons of Hillsdale. “I’ve taken tennis lessons since I was 7 years old, so tennis has been my sport,” said Murphy, whose family lives in Jeromesville. “Growing up, my brother and I loved Hillsdale. It has a small community feel about it, but once we got into junior high and closer to high school, the main reason we open enrolled was because Hillsdale didn’t offer as much academically. I was already in advanced classes. To be put in a position to excel in academics, Wooster just offered more. “That was the first priority to decide to go to Wooster instead of Hillsdale, and then to be able to play tennis was second,” she added. “My mom played tennis in high school and college, but she never pushed my brother and me into taking lessons just because she played. We were at the Wooster Racquet Club with her and we got down on our hands and knees and started begging for lessons.” Murphy has been a solid performer at the top of the Generals’ lineup as she stepped into No. 1 and stayed there. That was a pleasant surprise for Burris because he wasn’t expecting Murphy to be at Wooster. “Our first day of practice was our first meeting,” said Burris. “I had heard of a good player taking lessons at the tennis club, so she was a pleasant surprise. She fit right in – she’s a friendly, unassuming kid. She does most of her talking on the court with her racquet.” Murphy “talked” her way into the No. 1 spot in Wooster’s lineup almost immediately. “The thing with being No. 1 is that every team has a No. 1,” noted Burris. “It doesn’t matter how good the team is, that one-spot never gets a day off. They are always under pressure to play the best players. We never have a wimpy schedule – we try to keep it as competitive as possible – and as an underclassman, she paid her dues and worked her way up.” Murphy produced solid seasons in both of her first two years: “I was 14-7 as a freshman and then 14-8 as a sophomore; it was pretty similar,” said Murphy. She went 20-5 as a junior to earn a district berth before bowing out, and she was 18-7 this year before being eliminated in the district go-to match. “She’s played every match (at No. 1),” said Burris. “She’s always had a big shot. She hits the ball hard and early, and hits it kind of flat, which is unusual. She can reach out and hit a lot of big, flat shots with a lot of pace. “Coming in as a freshman, every swing was for a winner. She’s worked on a better second serve, on her backhand … she’s always worked hard to become a better player. She’s not one of those kids to be satisfied doing what they did. Sami is always trying to add dimensions to her game. She is cognitive of what she’s does and is always looking to find ways to win more matches. “This year she was very competitive at 18-7 against good competition,” added Burris. “Our kids responded well and Sami modeled that competitive attitude. This was one of the more competitive teams we’ve had with the girls. Top to bottom, they were real fighters. “Sami was a quiet leader and, typically in tennis, those are the most effective. She goes out and gets the job done, shows up for practice and works and expects everyone else to do the same. She’s a leader by example. She goes out and gets the job done and that reflected nicely with our team this year. When she loses, she’s looking to see what she could have done differently. She is one who will continue to grow and build on their experiences.” That leadership role was something Murphy was mindful of this past season. “Coming in as a freshman was a little scary,” she said. “I was pretty shy and quiet, and coming into a big new school not knowing anybody was intimidating. Some of the girls, some of the seniors that year, had heard about me coming to Wooster, so they made the effort to contact me. The group of seniors my freshman year helped me a ton … (and) that was the atmosphere around Wooster. “We had playoff matches, but even though I won, everybody was very supportive. Because I had played tennis my whole life and also did ballet, I had no chance to play team sports. To have that feeling of being on a team for the first time and having great senior leadership to look up to was nice. “Once I was a senior, I thought back to my freshman year how open and supportive the seniors were to me. I wanted to reach out and be a good leader for my team this year.” While her high school career is now behind her, Murphy wants to continue to play in college as she begins to pursue her career goals. “I have the mindset to play in college,” she said, as she has been “looking at a mix” of Division II and III schools. “I don’t have one or two schools I want to go to, but as I search for a college, academics are going to come first and tennis is second.” Murphy is interested in studying international relations while minoring in Spanish. “I’m probably more toward the political side of the (international relations) field, but I’m not sure where I’m going to end up. I love traveling and I love politics, so it sounds like a good mix for both of those.”


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