Since her freshman year in 2017, junior Maya Mills has been the face of South tennis. Mills has served as South’s number one for singles for the last three years, becoming increasingly more dominant.

When did you start playing tennis?

“I started playing tennis when I was seven years old. My aunt coached tennis, so I started fairly young.”

Why did you choose to go to South, when your aunt is the coach at North?

“I wanted to earn my way to the top myself. I didn’t want to go somewhere where I had a family member as a coach, mainly because people would assume that she would just hand me the number one spot.”

Do you feel the tough schedule you have faced this season has made you better as a player?

“The Cathedral match in particular was very memorable. In a way, it’s humbling to get completely destroyed. You can’t improve in any sport if you aren’t facing tough competition.”

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced this year?

“Facing North is the biggest challenge for me personally because of my aunt being there, but I would say the whole team focuses heavy on North because of the rivalry. It’s a goal that we have as a team and we haven’t been able to achieve it since I got here.”

What are your expectations/goals for next year?

“To beat north.”

Mills and the rest of the girls tennis team will compete at regionals, starting today at 5:30 p.m. at Bloomington North. Mills will square off against Columbus North’s Ashlie Wilson.