The girls’ tennis team laughs as junior Hannah Palmer tells a joke before a match, trying to encourage her teammates and lighten the mood. As co-captain on the team, Palmer used her experience and demeanor to inspire the others through the season.

“Hannah is an inspiration and a great captain,” Brandi Thompson, ’12, said. “We laugh all the time at practice and at each other’s jokes.”

Although Palmer began playing tennis during her sophomore year, she held the No. 7 position on the ladder this season with a record of 1-10 for singles and 3-3 for doubles. She says she first became interested in tennis while searching for an extracurricular activity.

“This year I enjoyed tennis because I led the team with Da Eun [Sunwoo, ’10] and our team was able to have a bond,” Palmer said. “We all became really close; like a family. It was really sad when the season ended.”

While participating in tennis, Palmer says she is able to interact with people from other classes. Her teammates often describe her as “fun and energetic” because of her attempts to make them laugh.

“She always makes something funny out of nothing and is always happy,” Sunwoo, co-captain, said. “At practices she makes weird noises and often sings the ABCs with her mouth closed.”

Even while trying to be serious, Palmer often finds herself in amusing situations.

“At practice one day, I was running for a short ball and tried to swing at it. Instead of hitting the ball, I threw my racquet,” Palmer said. “It was so funny!”

Head coach Brittany Salley says she selected Palmer as co-captain because of her natural leadership qualities.

“I chose Hannah as captain because, from the beginning, the team rallied behind her and she took on the role herself,” Salley said. “Teammates just began to listen to her and I recognized this and placed her in the captain position.”

According to Salley, Palmer’s tennis performance increased throughout the season.

“From the start of the season to now, Hannah’s confidence has improved as well as her tennis skills,” Salley said. “She is a competitive player and goes for everything on the court.”

Although the tennis schedule can constrict time for schoolwork and social events, Palmer’s friends say they appreciate her playing and support her at matches.

“I like that Hannah is playing tennis,” Cooper Belmont, ’12, said. “It gives me a chance to watch her play a sport because she always watches me at football games.”

For more information on the girls’ tennis team, visit the Sept. 30 article, Players practice tennis skills, and check out the Girls’ tennis sport shorts.