No. 1 Cabrillo High School tennis singles player Sierra Hohimer doesn’t shy away from dreaming big.
The junior picked up tennis only three years ago, during her freshman year as a Conquistador, yet she’s developed into one of the area’s top talents—with aspirations to take her tennis career beyond Cabrillo.
“I definitely want to play in college,” Hohimer told the Sun in a phone interview. “I am working toward perhaps being a professional tennis player—but I have to put in a lot more effort for that to happen.”
As soon as she started playing tennis, which she credits her dad for, Hohimer made a commitment to improving her game. She took lessons with a tennis trainer in Santa Barbara. She enlisted in year-round youth tournaments.
Tournaments are a great way to get seen by colleges.
“When I go to tournaments, there are some college scouts. I don’t know exactly who they are, but they’re there,” Hohimer said with a laugh.
The year-round training prepares Hohimer well for the fall high school season, which she feels optimistic about. The Conqs are off to a great start, picking up two non-league victories against Pioneer Valley and Righetti high schools.
“What I really look forward to is the whole team working together,” she said. “We’ve been working very hard and putting in a lot of effort in getting our footwork better and our strokes.”
For Hohimer, being named No. 1 singles player by coach MaryBeth Steiber is an honor.
“It’s definitely a challenge, and a huge responsibility, because the team is looking up to me,” she said.
Last year, Cabrillo went through a rebuild after losing some key seniors. This year, Hohimer says the Conqs are ready to challenge the top dogs in the league, like Santa Ynez.
“Santa Ynez is a really good challenge for us and they help us get better,” she said. “We have a better chance against them this year.”
Hohimer also plays doubles with her best friend, junior Karley Atkins, but she said she feels most comfortable on the court by herself.
“In doubles, we have to rely on each other. I just don’t want to feel like I’m letting my partner down,” she said. “When I play singles, I can play any kind of shot that I want, and I have the whole court to myself.”
Hohimer said she’s also looking forward to competing in the Satellite Masters Tournament in January 2017. She qualified for that by winning a tournament in Woodland Hills over the summer.
This article appears in Sep 8-15, 2016.
