Going into last Saturday's Class 1A Marian Catholic Sectional, freshman Ashley Meeky knew she had a good chance to become the first state tennis qualifier in Southland Prep history.

Winning the sectional title, though? That was exceeding her expectations.

“I surprised myself,” she said. “My first three matches, I had seen my opponents previously and I felt like I had a good plan against them. When I got to the championship match, though, I saw how (Providence's Sophie Davis) played and I was really nervous. I didn't know how it was going to go.”

Meeky had nothing to be nervous about. She topped Davis 6-3, 6-3, winning the sectional title without dropping a set in the tournament.

“No one really knew anything about her,” said Southland Prep coach Homer Thomas, who's also the school's athletic director. “We had 12 meets on our schedule but only ended up playing six because of rainouts or teams having to cancel to make up conference meets.

“I was able to get her seeded second (behind Davis) at the sectional, but she's this tiny, 80-pound freshman and no one knows what to expect from her. She's powerful, though.”

Meeky will look to pull off more surprises when the state meet begins Thursday at Buffalo Grove and surrounding courts.

Aside from hitting strong ground strokes with both her forehand and her backhand, Meeky's strength is her mental game.

She's constantly strategizing before and during matches. She said a key in her sectional title match was using the strong winds to her advantage.

She's also dedicated. The school day at Southland Prep runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Meeky practices with teammates afterward before heading for a lesson with her private coach at the H-F Racquet Club.

“Then I go home and do way too much homework,” she said. “I don't get much sleep. It's worth it, though.”

Meeky started to play tennis when she was 5 years old, though she didn't have much say in it.

“My dad forced me,” she said. “I wanted to play, but just as a hobby, then it kept getting more serious. I got a professional coach when I was 6 or 7, started playing in tournaments when I was 10. I'm glad my dad made me do all that now, though.”

While Meeky is enjoying her individual success, she has a goal to develop Southland Prep's team into a strong competitor over the next three years.

“I know the tennis team was shaky in previous years, so I hope that me getting to state solidifies the program so it can keep going,” she said. “I work with my teammates a lot in practice on strategies and form. When I see them improve, it's like seeing my work in action and it feels good watching them develop.”

Meeky isn't sure what to expect from her first experience at state, though she has a goal of making it through at least four rounds.

“I know there's a lot of good players,” she said. “I'm just going to go and do the best I can and whatever happens, happens.”

Steve Millar is a freelance writer for the Daily Southtown.