Queen of the (Tennis) Court: Melodie Liu

However, for Ms. Tooke, Melodie is so much more than simply “refreshing.” Ms. Tooke has coached the girls team for two seasons now, giving her a chance to get to know Melodie as “easygoing and someone who really makes us laugh.” On the tennis court, Ms. Tooke admires Melodie’s skill and dedication, recognizing that “like so many other students at Masterman, [Melodie] has so many other commitments and interests.” Nevertheless, Melodie devotes a few hours to practice each day, spending about an hour packed onto a bus alongside her teammates just to get to and from the tennis courts. At practice this year, Ms. Tooke and Melodie concentrated on more technical aspects of Melodie’s play, like her backhand and the speed of her serves. In general, however, Ms. Tooke explored a new “practice philosophy” this season, shifting towards an emphasis on match-play rather than drill work, explaining that “putting that competitive pressure on yourself during practice will translate into better matches.” Melodie agrees, adding that, for her, the “mental game is that hardest part about tennis. When you get to those match points, you have to be present and working to end it, you can’t just let the clock run out… or when you serve, that’s all on you, you can’t let faulting get to you.”

It seems like the advice from Ms. Tooke and Melodie is working. The Masterman Girls Tennis team is undefeated this year. Of course, winning’s great, but if asked about her favorite part of tennis, Melodie’s answer, without hesitation, is the team. When describing the team’s energy this year, Melodie immediately thinks back to a recent match against Central, remembering how, in the deciding match of a close game, “everybody had lined up watching and every game point we would scream and clap. When we finally won everybody huddled around and we cheered so loud, it was such a happy moment.”

Moments like these are so meaningful for a team, and stepping into the role of co-captain has reminded Melodie that though tennis is often an individual sport by the nature of matches, developing a team atmosphere is no less important. At practice, the team incorporates games that challenge the girls’ tennis skill but still let them “relax, be goofy, and have fun as a team,” as Melodie describes. Albeit the girls have understandably less time to be goofy during matches, little shared words of encouragement mid-water breaks and pre-match pep talks keep the team spirit alive on game days. “I really like having that support,” shares Melodie, who plans to continue playing tennis after high school for that team dynamic, likely on a club level.

In tennis and beyond, the Masterman community is excited to see what Melodie will achieve as the gracious and dedicated leader she is. To Melodie, in her own words, “stay positive, have confidence in yourself, and don’t overthink it.”