It’s All in the Family for These Three Sisters

Don’t stand too close to the court because these girls know how to pile-drive a tennis ball! The Tech Tiger tennis team has three powerhouse sisters playing on their team. Taylor, Katelyn and Ashley Tarrolly have been playing tennis since they were tots.

“Tennis is a family thing,” says Taylor, the oldest of the three sisters and a junior at Tech.

“Mom and Dad played tennis when they were young,” adds Katelyn, a sophomore at Tech.

 

When it’s not regular tennis season, the family travels around the metro area where the girls play for USTA (United States Tennis Association) to keep on top of their game and to just have fun.

What’s even more special is the bond these sisters have. Ashley, who is currently a seventh grader at South, is the newest member to the varsity team.

“We had a lot of discussion and we decided to mix it up,” explains Katelyn.

Taylor and Katelyn have always competed in singles tennis and both have been to the state tournament. They wanted Ashley to have the same chance they had, so they decided to team up and compete in doubles tennis this year.

“It’s been really fun playing with Katelyn,” says Taylor. “It’s a unique opportunity. We know each other so well. People often think we’re twins. We can finish each other’s sentences. And we really wanted to make it to state to do some damage.”

The thing that Taylor and Katelyn agree on most is that their little sister “is such an amazing player.”

Taylor says, “Ashley always has a surprise up her sleeve.”

Ashley has proven them right this year. She is the first seventh grader on Tech’s varsity team to become the Sub-section Champion, winning matches against some tough area competition.

Some of her biggest motivators are her older sisters and coach. Her coach, Paul Bates, is a great mentor who helps remind her that she needs to focus on one match at a time.

“The night before Sub-sections”, she remembers, “I just kept focusing on the game and kept telling myself to go one match at a time.”

She knew she would be competing against teammates as well as other schools.

“The best thing about competing against teammates is that you are friends off the court, enemies on the court, and then friends once the game is done, no matter what,” she says.

All three girls are ambitious. Taylor has one more year of high school. She’s looking at pre-med with the hope of becoming a dermatologist.

Katelyn wants to go into pre-law and criminal justice after graduation.  She aspires to play tennis is college as well.

Ashley is looking in another direction. “I’ve already planned this all out.  I want to be an Industrial Engineer or go into interior design.”

Coach Bates is proud of these athletes in all areas.

“They are all great students, respectful people, really committed.  The fact that they are all Sub-section Champs is just icing.”

Taylor and Katelyn became the Sub-section Champs this year in doubles and Ashley in singles. Coming up, they will compete at the next level, and all three just want to build on what they have accomplished this year.

There is no doubt, Tech has triple-threat bragging rights on the tennis court for some years to come.