Freshman has quickly traveled up the list of area players

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Practically her entire family -- and it's a fairly large extended one -- plays, or has played, tennis.

Abbey Hamstra has to look only as far as her own Kankakee Valley team to find a relative. She and coach Jacquelyn Wilder (formerly Hamstra), a 2002 graduate who played No. 1 singles for the Kougars for two seasons, are first cousins. And they are second cousins with senior Jessica Hamstra, the No. 2 singles player this season who occupied the No. 1 spot last season.

Playing No. 1 singles as a freshman, Abbey Hamstra seems well on her way to setting a standard.

"I think her ability is there now," Wilder said. "Her confidence and her will to win is only going to get better. A tournament, it's just a weekend. This is a whole season. You're building toward something. For her, she has to want it, and there's no doubt her will to win is going to get bigger."

An accomplished USTA player, Hamstra has been piling up wins in her first experience as part of a team. In fact, her only loss this season has come to Munster senior Mary Hill, who placed third in the state last season and has only one loss in her high school career. On Monday, in a match that was resumed from Thursday after rain had suspended it, Hamstra posted her biggest victory yet, beating Highland's Sarah Kitchell 7-5, 6-3, staking her claim as the area's second-best player.

Still, it was something of an adjustment to the high school game for Hamstra, at least initially.

"I'm used to competing," she said. "But in USTA, it's all on your own; you win and lose for yourself. Here, there are all these other people, they're cheering you on, and you want to win for them, and yourself. It's more exciting with the team.

"The first two matches, I was pretty nervous. After that, I've pretty much settled in."

Wilder has liked the way Hamstra has acclimated.

"Since she's only a freshman, she comes up against a lot of older girls -- it is a lot for a freshman," she said. "She's played a lot of tennis, but it's different when there are other members of the team counting on you. There's pressure there, and she's taking the pressure really well.

"They (the Kougars players) were bracing themselves for her. They knew she would take the No. 1 spot."

Indeed, Hamstra's teammates have received her with open arms. They understand her talent, as well as her work ethic and dedication that includes playing virtually every day.

"Abbey puts a lot of time into tennis, and everyone realizes it," Wilder said. "And everyone gets along so well, so I knew it wouldn't be a problem.

"Jessica has taken Abbey, not under her wing, but it's like a little sister thing, teasing her, goofing around with her. (Jessica is) really our team captain. She's a leader, and the girls follow what she does."

As the season has unfolded, Abbey Hamstra has started to spread her wings. Even before, during and after the match against Hill, who won 6-1, 6-2, she projected a certain attitude.

"She went into it believing she had a chance," Wilder said. "It might've been false hope, but to see that confidence was awesome. I tried to pump her up after the match, to keep that going.

"From the beginning of the year until now, you can see her confidence has grown so much."

Hamstra's confidence should continue to grow, along with her skills.

"I want to keep being consistent and improve my power," she said. "My serve is getting better. Overall, I?just want to keep getting better."

Contact Michael Osipoff at 648-3137 or mosipoff@post-trib.com.