Girls tennis / WesCo 4A

EDMONDS - It's obvious that Amy Zavaglia enjoys life. She ends most sentences with a sincere, heartfelt laugh.

But when the Edmonds-Woodway senior is on the tennis court, it's no laughing matter. She still has fun, but she's dead serious about winning.

"I love tennis and I have a passion for it," said Zavaglia, one of four siblings to play high-school tennis for the Warriors. "You have to have the passion to play tennis and love what you're doing or it's not any fun."

In fact, tennis can be a grind sometimes, especially in the world of singles competition. Zavaglia decided to forgo singles competition during postseason play as a junior because she felt teaming with now-graduated Amy Allen in doubles gave her a better shot at a Class 3A state title.

Zavaglia and Allen, now a walk-on freshman with the University of Washington tennis team, reached the state semifinals a year ago, finishing sixth.

Now, Zavaglia is back in singles competition at the Class 4A level as the Warriors moved into a new league this season. The fourth-year varsity tennis player plans to keep it that way through the end of the season and grab a state berth like she did as a sophomore.

"Singles challenges you more mentally and it's more grueling," said Zavaglia, who was 7-1 against WesCo 4A singles competition as of last Thursday, helping her team to a 7-1 record. "In singles, you're out there for three hours sometimes. By the end of the match, you're grunting for every point.

"For me, doubles is more fast-paced, which I kind of like. But the points go quicker and it's more intense. And you get to communicate with your partner. In singles, you're on your own."

Zavaglia has played several summers of junior tennis, which is one reason she has standing scholarship offers from Gonzaga and Manhattan College in New York.

The college choice could be tough.

"Comparing the two places is liking comparing apples and oranges," Zavaglia said. "Spokane is like my second home, since I have relatives there and my brother (Joe) plays tennis there.

"When I went to visit Manhattan College, I got to see the city (of New York) and it was wonderful. The city is alive. There's never a dull moment. Growing up in Edmonds, you go sit at the park and that's about it."

Zavaglia, who made her first trip to the East Coast on her Manhattan visit, admitted that getting away from the shadow of her siblings' success might be welcomed.

"I'm the fourth out of five kids, and all my siblings played or are playing tennis," she said. "It might be kind of nice to go away."

Edmonds-Woodway's top singles player has suffered just one loss in WesCo 4A play, dropping a 6-2, 6-3 decision to Oak Harbor's Stacie Pate on March 31. Zavaglia finished last summer rated 28th in the Pacific Northwest junior rankings by the United States Tennis Association, behind conference rivals No. 25 Pate and No. 26 Morgan Smith of Sehome.

Zavaglia topped Smith 6-1, 6-2 on April 5, but the Warriors fell to Sehome 4-3.

"There are a lot of girls with club and summer experience in this conference, and Amy is one of them in the top group of players," Snohomish Coach Dick Jansen said. "She's got more experience playing more tournament-type tennis. She's pretty refined with her stroke and with her experience, she's got that mental edge."

A month-and-a-half stay in Spokane last summer could be the key to Zavaglia making a strong run in postseason singles competition. Zavaglia stayed with her aunt and uncle so she could work 20 hours a week with instructor Kevin Trim of 24-Hour Fitness.

Out of her summer lessons came a more confident player.

"My problem before going over there was mental intensity," said Zavaglia, who first picked up a racquetball racquet and tried tennis at age 4. "I was a hot-and-cold player. I'd go from hitting balls right on the line to three points later slipping out of it."

A more relaxed and self-assured Zavaglia doesn't worry about failing in singles later this spring.

"I'm a senior and I'm graduating," said Zavaglia, who also teamed with Amy Allen to reach state as a freshman in doubles. "I'm going to go out there for the experience and hopefully to reach the personal goals that I've set, but still going to go out and have fun.

"I'm not going to worry about it. It's not like I'm going to have my scholarship taken away."

Edmonds-Woodway Coach Yvonne Gowen has noticed the mental improvements this season after last summer's hard work.

"She's thinking and she's had opponents running from corner to corner by placing the ball nicely," Gowen said. "She's very aggressive and she has nice strokes. And she's not afraid to go to the net and put the ball away."

If Zavaglia doesn't handle the postseason switch from doubles to singles, it won't be the end of her dreams.

"Realistically, I never thought I'd make it as far as the pros," she said. "Since I've been four, my dream has been to play college tennis."

Those dreams appear to be just a volley or groundstroke away.

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WesCo 4A girls tennis players to watch

North Division

Cascade - Eileen Torres, sr.; Katie Gappa, jr.

Marysville-Pilchuck - Jessica Bailey, sr.; Alison Thorvilson (doubles team), sr.

Oak Harbor - Stacie Pate, sr.; Theresa Black.

Sehome - Morgan Smith, sr.

Snohomish - Amanda Vest, sr.; Noelle Lee, jr.; Julie Solvang, jr.

South Division

Edmonds-Woodway - Amy Zavaglia, sr.; Sarah Allen, so.

Kamiak - Nancy Hong (defending Northwest 4A District champion), so; Kimberly Kushibuschi, sr.

Mountlake Terrace - Breanne Appleby, so.

Shorecrest - Blaze Wadum, jr; Christine Kim, sr.

Shorewood - Lacy Bruce, so; Nicole Bell, jr; Brittany Bell, fr.