OSHKOSH — Last month, for the first time since at least 2000 when the WISAA merged with the WIAA, Lourdes Academy rewrote the school record book as sophomore Sasha Quandt became an individual medalist at the girls tennis state tournament.
In each of the past three seasons, the Lourdes girls tennis program has steadily improved. In 2022, the Knights sent one doubles team to sectionals. As a freshman, last year, Quandt joined a doubles team that made it to sectionals and qualified for state individually.
This season, two Lourdes doubles teams (No. 1 Monse Luquin and Maya Hawi, No. 3 Aoife Mains and Abby Ridenour) made it to sectionals, along with Quandt – who once again qualified for state as the Knights’ No. 1 singles player.
In her second state appearance, Quandt (21-5) received a first-round bye as the No. 4 overall seed. In Round 2, she won against Therese Kern of Regis, 6-2, 6-0. In Round 3, she won against Megan Johnson of West Salem, 6-0, 6-1, to qualify for the state semifinals, where she lost to the No. 1 seed, Kylie Matz of Brookfield Academy, 6-0, 6-0.
Playing for third place, Quandt lost to Susanna Hundt of St. Joan Antida/Chesterton Academy, 6-2, 6-2, to finish fourth, earning a spot on the podium.
Knights coach Annie Docter said Quandt’s achievement was “a monumental occasion for both Sasha and Lourdes Academy.”
“Sasha fought all season to come out as the No. 1 seed for sectionals,” Docter said. “For all of her matches, we knew she would develop a gameplan and play her hardest no matter who she was playing. Sasha knows there is more to tennis than just the physical side of playing, and she has been working hard all season to develop and refine the mental side of the game.”
Quandt said she’s taken great pride in her accomplishments, this season, and will use her success as motivation to continue reaching the goals she sets each year as a representative of her school.
“When I initially heard about being the first Lourdes tennis girl to make the podium, I felt very accomplished and satisfied with completing the goal I had created for myself last year,” Quandt said. “Representing my school in my sport helps me continue to push myself and reach for a higher goal. These two years have meant so much to me, and I will never forget the memories made. I have already created my goal for next year.”
Quandt mentioned how the experience of being at state last year was a key to improving her performance this second trip, particularly in regard to feeling more comfortable and confident in the mental aspect of the game.
“Last year as a freshman, being at state was all mental,” Quandt said. “I did not know what to expect. This year, I knew the environment and how to prepare myself. I envisioned myself playing my points and winning point by point. I had a whole year to continue improving my strokes and serves, and I was very satisfied with my serve performance this year. I talked with my coaches on mentally preparing myself, and I couldn’t have thanked them more.”
As for the physical part of her game, Docter said that Quandt has most improved from year one with her ‘pace and placement’ on the court.
“The biggest difference from Sasha’s freshman year to this year was the addition of pace to her game, and the ability for her to move the ball around while keeping that pace,” Docter said.
“She has always had pace to her shots, but this year she had pace I’ve never seen her hit, and she did a great job moving her opponent to open up the court so she could strike when the moment was right. I think confidence plays a huge role in her ability to pick up the pace and become more of an offensive player, this year. As the years go on, she will continue to develop her pace and placement and be confident using her pace in matches. We really worked through her mental game this year so that we could get Sasha to utilize her pace during matches; sometimes she will get comfortable using her forehand slice, which is primarily a defensive shot, and it’s hard to get her back to hitting offensive shots. This is true of many players, and it is something I’m confident Sasha will continue to work on during the offseason.”
Docter shared how it’s been a delight to provide instruction to Quandt these past two seasons due to her being easily coachable and communicative.
“It has been such an incredible experience to get to coach Sasha,” Docter said. “She is so easy to work with and is willing to try any drill we throw her way. She is always super honest about how she is feeling and what is going through her mind before, during, and after matches. Her open communication about her thoughts and feelings allows us to talk through any mental blocks or negative self-talk and focus on what she did well and what she wants to work on. Open communication is key to being able to successfully coach, so she makes that part extremely easy for us.”
Quandt offered credit to everyone who has been supportive of her as an inspiration for playing the game. She commented how tennis is, in a way, therapeutic to her, as she said her favorite thing about it is “the feeling of hitting the ball and getting away from any problems.”
“I can just go to the court and get my mind off things,” Quandt said. “I can be myself and put all my strength and energy on the court. I couldn’t have done this without my family and coaches. My senior, Ava Geffers, has made me feel good about myself and my skills. I will miss her when she leaves and will never forget the memories and laughs we had. I am so grateful for those who came to support me. I love my tennis family so much.”
To contact Lance LeQue, email him at LLeQue@gannett.com, or follow him on Instagram and X, formerly known as Twitter, @LanceLeQue.
Local journalism matters, and it deserves your support! If you don’t yet subscribe, please consider joining us in improving our communities through verified and reliable reporting by subscribing to the Fond du Lac Reporter and/or the Oshkosh Northwestern. Thank you for reading!
This article originally appeared on Oshkosh Northwestern: Lourdes Academy girls tennis Sasha Quandt reaches state podium
