Some girls don’t care to be labeled, but Saint John Senior Maggie Hoza knew of one label that would fit her just fine … the one given to the best tennis player in the county.
Growing up, Hoza had become more than familiar with girls such as Alyssa Cevera, Colleen Andersen and Mickey Zheng.
This fall, though, she knew it was her time.
Hoza went 24-7 this season playing first singles for the Heralds.
In Division II, she was the first girl from Saint John to make a second trip to the district tournament in singles, and advance to the second round.
For all of her success, Hoza has been named Ashtabula County Girls’ Tennis Player of the Year, as selected by the county coaches.
“It’s a label I’ve been wanting for a long time,” she said. “All my friends, all of my peers did it, and I knew it was my time to get it, and it was a good thing to work towards.”
Hoza began playing tennis in the sixth grade.
From there, it was not long until the sport became her passion.
“I played with all of the girls a ton,” Hoza said. “We’re all very competitive with each other. Every day, I think about tennis, playing in the offseason, and practicing, you know, cardio, gym, everything. This is my passion and I’ve stuck with it.”
Heralds coach Todd Nassief said that the passion she showed has earned her a place among the best the program has had to offer.
“We’ve had a lot of really good tennis players at Saint John,” Nassief said. “Maggie looked up to them, and what she’s done puts her right up there with the best we’ve ever had.”
Hoza stepped on the first-singles court as early as her sophomore season.
The more she played, the more she realized the type of work and sacrifice that was required, both physically and mentally.
“It’s a sport that you can have a love-hate relationship with,” Hoza said. “You have to keep that mental discipline, not getting too overworked, focusing on playing your match, hitting your shots, not trying to compete with the other person, playing up or down to them.”
Nassief said Hoza had the athletic makeup to be successful at any sport, and glad she chose tennis.
“What I appreciate most about coaching her is how willing she is to learn,” he said. “She takes what we talk about in practice and has the confidence to try it when the match is on the line.”
A great example of what the coach referred to was in the district tournament.
During a district match against Beachwood’s Sarah Zhou, who was 2-0 against her in their career, Hoza tweaked her game to earn the win.
“We knew we had a week to get ready for that match,” Nassief said. “She worked hard on a few specific things in practice, then went out and used them in a tough match.”
Hoza ended up with 6-4, 1-6, 6-2 victory.
“As a coach, that’s one of the most rewarding things,” Nassief said of the match. “Seeing a player put in the work and trust it under pressure. I’m so proud of what Maggie did against the level of competition, and I’m really glad she gets to enjoy an award she’s wanted for so long.”
For her career, Hoza went 75-23, and was part of three Ashtabula County Championships with a combined team record of 71-7.
Her 75 wins are fifth best in school history.
This season was her time, though, and Hoza said she feels more than satisfied with the results.
“Absolutely,” she said. “I’ve always wanted to be the person to be one of the best at Saint John. I think my record, and my percentages and my district win, it all sets me apart, and it’s something I’m super proud of. It’s been a goal of mine to always be better. It’s still a goal of mine, to be better as a player and a person.”
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