Sophia Cordoba is ready to step out of her shell.
She has had a successful career for Ame’s girls’ tennis team, which is entering its senior season. She won four matches as the team’s No. 2 singles player as a junior.
But she is ready to do more during her final round with Little Cyclones.
“I just want to compete at a higher level and be more courageous on the pitch,” Cordoba said. “Because of my tough game, I get a little shy on the field and try to keep everything inside, but without really attacking. This year I look forward to attacking more. “
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Cordoba has been playing tennis on and off since she was 8 years old. She participated in a bubble league at the Ames Raquet and Fitness Center and took individual lessons to and from up to high school.
That experience gave Cordoba a head start when she joined the Ames team as a newcomer.
“Freshman year, I realized I had a lot more basic down than everyone else,” Cordoba said. “I had already started playing at the university level. Many of my fellow seniors started playing their second year.”
Cordoba had to watch Ames’ talented university team win its first year. But her second year was taken away due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
She was unable to continue playing at Ames Raquet and Fitness due to the pandemic. But she continued to keep her game sharp by going up against her father, Juan Cordoba.
“My dad plays tennis and he has really tough servings,” Cordoba said. “I’m a little used to having to receive them. My servings are not very fast, but I can definitely return them. ”
Thanks to her father’s help and her own natural abilities, Cordoba developed the ability to drive hard shots and return them. Her tough play earned her No. 2 singles spot as a junior.
“She does a really good job of using topspin to keep the ball in play,” said Ames co-head coach Anna Ellis. “You can see how her rally ball pushes her opponent deep and wide. In addition to the action on her pitch, she has a mature presence on the track. Her experience enables her to make smart choices in the big moments.”
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Cordoba have also formed a strong No. 2 double team for Ames with Suya Que.
“We fit really well together on the pitch,” Que said. “We can make up for each other’s weaknesses.”
But Cordoba is not happy with its game.
“I used to be very shy about the net,” Cordoba said. “I’m a little low, so I’ve never had a lot of confidence. When I go into this year, I’ve tried to get a lot more involved there.”
Her coaches acknowledge that she could be more aggressive. But they like what they’ve seen from her so far.
“Sophia puts in the work,” Ellis said. “We’ve had a couple of times with Sophia where we focus on something specific – her backhand cut, her hip rotation on the serve, etc. Her fundamental relationship is better than ever this year, and we’re excited to see how it plays out right . “
Cordoba also incorporates much of what she learned from the 2021 Ames candidate and triple state winner Arunadee Fernando.
“She was like an assistant coach to me,” Cordoba said. “She gave me a lot of advice. I could see her serving technique and get a really good idea of what to do. To play with her and be able to practice returning at such a fast pace and so creative shots was really good to have. ”
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So far, so good.
Cordoba lost their opening singles match to Ankeny Centennials Jenna Benkofsky in straight sets, 6-4 and 7-6 (11-9). But her efforts in the second set of marathons were outstanding.
Cordoba and Que also won their doubles match with a pair of 6-2 wins.
“I think she’s improved her confidence,” Que said. “She has also managed to stay consistent.”
Cordoba said she would like to end her career playing on the state. But the real legacy she wants to leave behind is helping her younger teammates grow as players to help build the program back to where it was when she was a freshman.
Ames defeated Centennial in its opening Monday, 6-5. Cordoba plans to keep that momentum going and help build confidence for the younger players.
“In the past, varsity and the JV did not interact much,” Cordoba said. “This year we have a host of beginners heading in. We want to give them more experience playing at a higher level. We want the Ames tradition to continue when we are gone.”