Marquette freshman Rose Pastoret never really expected to qualify for the individual state finals.

But that’s the reality for Pastoret, who plays Park Tudor freshman Caroline Kittle on Friday afternoon at Park Tudor in the singles quarterfinals.

“I don’t know her,” Pastoret said. “Every player there is going to be good. I’m just going to do the best I can, have fun, and play my game, and whatever happens, happens.

“I’m surprised I’ve gotten this far. It’s not something I thought about when the season began.”

Pastoret, rated a four-star recruit by tennisrecruiting.net, is 13-1 with wins over such seniors as Hobart’s Carla Jewell and Crown Point’s Ana Maksimovich, the Duneland Athletic Conference MVP.

Munster sophomore Shalini Tallamraju is the only player to beat Pastoret, winning 7-6, 6-0.

“I think I learned a lot from that match,” she said. “The way the first set went, I was pretty frustrated. I was getting rattled the second set and making a bunch of errors. I got away from what I wanted to do. I learned from the experience. It’s really helped me. It’s helped me to stay focused, especially if a match starts getting really tough.”

Pastoret likely can expect more tough matches the rest of the way, starting with Kittle (23-5).

“Lately, I think I’ve done a better job coming to the net, being aggressive and going for my shots,” Pastoret said. “I’ve been trying to stay as positive as I can and avoid any negative attitude.”

That’s where the loss to Tallamraju might end up helping Pastoret.

“It was a good match with Shalini, but right now, I’m focused on my footwork, effort and my attitude,” Pastoret said.

Regardless of what happens at state, Pastoret’s come a long way since she started playing at age 7.

A softball pitcher and first baseman growing up, Pastoret decided to concentrate on tennis when she was 12.

Having played on the USTA circuit since she was 9, the 16-year-old Pastoret has a national ranking of 166 in the girls 18 division, according to tennisrecruiting.net.

“The biggest thing is the years she’s spent playing tennis and USTA tournaments,” Marquette coach Ray Silvas said. “At the end of the day, consistency matters. Rose consistently works. With all the practice she puts in working on her own game, she’s seeing the fruits of her labor.”

Pastoret’s strengths include her aggressiveness and ability to put the ball away when needed.

“She’s really strong, and her shot placement is really good,” Silvas said. “When she’s comfortable and playing loose, she plays very aggressive, and when things are rolling, she stays aggressive.”

At last week’s LaPorte Individual Regional, Pastoret cruised, losing only three games in two matches.

“She was really loose, relaxed, and really on her game,” Silvas said. “Watching that, I feel she definitely has a chance to go far the rest of the way. She just can’t get in her own way, because sometimes players tend to think too much. She has to have the mindset to stay in the present and not think about something she wanted to do, but couldn’t.

“Woulda, coulda, shouldas don’t mean anything. You need the mindset to put things behind you and play your game.”

John O’Malley is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.