By Randy Whalen

Sophia Baltz went to the IHSA State Finals last season as a senior and the No. 1 singles player for the Joliet Township girls' tennis team.

This season, the team was looking for someone to replace her in that spot and found her. Overseas.

Literally.

Felicitas Scherer, a 15-year-old foreign exchange student from Germany who is a junior, has stepped in as the top singles player for Joliet Township. She did not expect that when she came to the United States for the first time in August.

"I really like it here, it's different," Scherer said. "I really like the food, especially Cheetos."

She also likes playing tennis.

"In Germany, there's no high school tennis," Scherer said. "You play on a club team. It's more competitive here. There you practice one time a week and here it's every day.

"It feels good to be the No. 1 singles player. I want to have fun and I'm just giving my best."

Joliet Township coach Elizabeth Covelli-Reyes is very happy to have Scherer here and on the team.

"She's so sweet," Covelli-Reyes said. "We were really excited to get her. She's excited and impressive. For her to have the courage to come over her at age 15 and not know the school or the sport and step in is incredible.

"She can get along with everyone and has done very well. She got second at our invite (on Saturday, Sept. 14) losing only to the top singles player from Lake Forest. At the Lockport Invite (on Saturday, Sept. 21) Felicitas took fourth overall in the singles bracket after battling the heat of the day she defeated Lincoln-Way West No. 1 singles in an incredibly close match going into three sets."

Hope Hughes is the No. 2 singles and fellow senior Brianna Ocampo is the No. 3 singles player.

Another senior pair Alih Rangel and Jaylene Orozco has stepped in as the top doubles team. It's been a switch for Rangel, who was the No. 2 singles player last year. 

"I played doubles my first two years," Rangel said. "Then singles last season. But I did not enjoy the solitude of singles and I wanted to be back at doubles. I've played with three different doubles partners and Jaylene and I work well together. We've known each other for a long time.  

"That connection on the court helps. We can tell each other that 'It's OK' and pick each other up."

At No. 2 doubles are junior Sofia Mancilla and freshman Mia Kristensen.

"It's my third season playing overall and first on the varsity," Mancilla said. "I really like the team and it's been a good season so far. We hang out, support each other and it's been really nice. 

"I like tennis because of the mental aspect and it's really fun to do with friends."

But tennis isn't the only activity that Mancilla enjoys. She is also a percussionist in the Joliet West band.

"When we hosted our tennis tournament (on Saturday, September 14) I ran from tennis to our performance at Plainfield South," Mancilla said. "We won the best percussion and placed second overall. I was going from 7 AM until 8 PM. Our show is Kaleidoscope. I play the marimba and I've been playing for seven years."

Mancilla and the tennis team hope to continue to make music on the court as well. Sophomore Emily Trujano and junior Avery Cooper are the No. 3 doubles team and senior Nadia Nikho and junior Ale Reyes are the No. 4 doubles duo.

"Mia is a freshman on the second doubles and Emily is a sophomore on the third doubles," Covelli-Reyes said. "Both earned their spots and it's not an easy transition to move up to the varsity.

"This is a year of growth. Overall, we've had some really solid returning seniors and a lot of moves from doubles to singles and singles to doubles."

While last week brought a pair of Southwest Prairie Conference losses, at home against Plainfield South on Tuesday, September 17 and at Minooka on Thursday, September 19, Covelli-Reyes was encouraged with how the team played. 

"The Minooka match was the best I have seen the team compete overall as a whole this year so far, " she said. They were incredibly close and competitive matches. We didn't win the Minooka match, we ended up losing 6-1 but there was truly a great set of matches across all the courts."

On Wednesday, September 25, Joliet is scheduled to host its Senior Night at 4:30 PM against Andrew at Joliet West. The six seniors are Abrianna Contreras, Hughes, Nikho, Ocampo, Orozco, and Rangel.

The SPC meet will be at Minooka on Wednesday and Thursday, October 9 and 10. Joliet Township will be at a Class 2A sectional on Friday and Saturday, October 18 and 19 at Lincoln-Way West.