By Matt Browning

Bishop Carroll junior Paige Stranghoner is one of the top girls tennis players in the state, taking third in Class 5A singles last fall, which was an improvement from her sophomore year. She was apart of the Eagles State Championship team in 2016. They took sixth in 2018 and second in 2016. Stranghoner’s goal for 2020 is to finish better than third for her senior year.

“Next year should be super exciting,” said Stranghoner, about the Eagles’ prospects in tennis. “We have a couple of new players coming in. We hope to place high at state again.”

Being able to compete against the “best of the best” is one of the biggest takeaways of Stranghoner’s time at Bishop Carroll. She values having to work hard and be dedicated towards her sport in order to be successful.

Not only does Stranghoner play tennis, as she also is apart of the soccer team as well. “My teammates make it such a good environment to compete in,” Stranghoner said. “And the coaches are amazing and are very helpful. They try to put you in the best position to succeed.”

While she is still over a year away from having to make an official decision, Stranghoner would like to play tennis at the collegiate level. “Recruiting in tennis is different than other sports,” Stranghoner said. “Coaches do not start recruiting until the middle of senior year. But it is still something I want to do.”