Woodrow Wilson Tennis Opens State Tournament Play Thursday

Ram Asaithambi, Ethan Shepard and Abby Dillon will close out their tennis careers this weekend at the state tournament on the courts in the Capitol City.

For Asaithambi, the end game was very much expected.

However, that was not the case for Shepard and Dillon entering high school.

Asaithambi had played tennis since he was four years old. For his two teammates, on the other hand, tennis was not on their radar before high school.

"I never planned on playing tennis until the day after basketball ended my freshman year with Olivia Ziolkowski," Dillon said, laughing. "It was so random, but here I am."

It wasn't like she really needed another sport.

Entering high school, Dillon already excelled at volleyball, basketball and soccer.

Soccer took a backseat to volleyball as the days went on and Dillon helped lead the Flying Eagles to four straight state tournament appearance. She also made a trip to the girls state basketball tournament.

A state tournament berth as a tennis player seemed like a long shot.

For what she didn't know in regards to tennis technique, Dillon used some skills learned on the volleyball court to succeed.

"Tennis is a fun sport to play. I always expect a lot out of myself, but I guess in this sport, a little less is expected, just because of experience," Dillon said. "Volleyball helped me a lot. Serving is similar and the hand and eye coordination is so similar. Playing on the back row (in volleyball) helps too. You have to react really fast, so I can read where they are going to hit the ball. My technique might not be as good as everyone else's, but I make up for it with my speed and athletic ability."

Shepard followed a similar path, but turned his decision to play tennis into his passion.

"In the offseason between my freshman year and my sophomore year, I played a lot of tennis tournaments and it completely flipped which sport that I wanted to completely focus on," Shepard said. "It was weird making the transition."

Prior to high school and during his freshman season, Shepard was 110 percent basketball.

"Every once in a while I wish I was still playing," Shepard admitted. "Obviously I still love basketball, just don't play it anymore."

The decision to change his path to tennis has paid big dividends as well.

"I have committed to West Liberty University to play tennis," Shepard said. "I kind of wanted to go a little bit away for college in state, but not too far. That is about as far in the state that you can get from here, but it's a good location with some big cities just an hour away."

Asaithambi was smitten with tennis from the moment he laid eyes on the sport.

"One of my first memories in Beckley was when I was around four, watching a tennis lesson," Asaithambi recalled. " I was immediately drawn to the court with the way the players struck the ball, and knew I wanted to play too. Very soon I would be watching tennis channel religiously."

"I was watching my idols like Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer win grand slams," Asaithambi went on to say. "I mimicked their movements from behind the screen. My first coach, Bud Vredeveld, who I happened to watch that first day, became influential in cultivating my love for the sport. Tennis became an instant part of my childhood from the moment I saw it."

Being captured by a sport and becoming one of the best players in the state are two different issues. Asaithambi has made the necessary sacrifices to be his best.

"The biggest things that have helped me grow in tennis has been my coaches, consistency, and experience. I’ve truly been blessed to have worked with so many coaches with various techniques and styles, which has allowed me to craft a really unique game," Asaithambi. "Most importantly, being a player on the USTA Junior Circuit has given me invaluable experience on how to handle pressure, overcome adversity, and learn how to win. Just the consistency of training, improving my fitness, and competing all the time has allowed me to find a rhythm and flow to my game."

Asaithambi was the AAA Region 3 singles champion this year, while finishing runner-up as a junior. He has also earned all-state honors the last three years.

Last year, Asaithambi and Shepard comprised Woodrow Wilson's No. 1 doubles team and while owning vastly different styles on the court, the pair became highly successful.

"Ethan and I are two very different players with two different game styles," Asaithambi said. "While I view myself as more of a traditional tennis player, Ethan’s game is unconventional and really unique. The differences in our play styles complement each other and allows us to fill in the pieces of the puzzle when we step on court together."

"Additionally, Ethan and I have had a lot of experience playing together now, so we know what plays to run, what strategies work against certain opponents, and how to handle the big moments. It’s this combination which has made us such an effective team on court."

In their first year together, the dynamic duo finished as the AAA runner-up in doubles.

Both the girls and the boys teams qualified for the state tournament team competition as the Region 3 runner-up. That portion of the event starts Thursday morning, followed by the singles and doubles events.

"This is the first year making the state tournament as a team since I have been playing," Dillon said. I will play singles also. Playing in the team competition is special because I love my team so much."

Asaithambi and Shepard have a full schedule, playing the team competition, along with doubles and singles.

Shepard is the No. 9 seed in boys singles, while Asaithambi id the No. 3 seed. The twosome ranked as the No. 2 doubles team. Dillon is the No. 13 seed in girls singles.

Woodrow Wilson head tennis coach Bernie Bostick talked about the impact the three seniors have had over their four-year careers.

"Ram is very vocal as a team leader and the best player on the team," Bostick said. "So, he leads by voice and example. Abby and Ethan, they just go out and play as hard as they can. They do the best they can. They encourage who they are playing with and get the best out of them that they can."

"In singles, you won't see them tank a match," Bostick continued. "They won't be whining or crying. If it doesn't go there way, they will learn from it. I couldn't have asked for three better seniors with regards to leadership. They are phenomenal and work hard every day. They are what you want. They won't give up."

The boys team is seeded No. 5, while the girls are No. 7. Both teams play Morgantown Thursday.