Ballard's Kaitlyn Zugay started tennis after COVID hit. Now she's undefeated and eyeing state tourney

Kaitlyn Zugay is a fast learner.

She will be graduating from Ballard this spring after just three years of high school.

Zugay has also become one of the top girls high school tennis players in Iowa over the past two seasons, even though she did not start playing the game until the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020.

“My mom wanted to teach me how to play,” Zugay said. “I grew to like it over time. Then I started taking lessons because I thought it was really fun. Here I am now.”

Now Zugay will be going for her second-consecutive trip to the Class 1A state singles tournament. She placed eighth last year as a sophomore.

“Putting the time in and dedicating yourself to a sport — she’s good evidence for what hard work can do,” said Ballard coach Jennifer Dovre. “I think the way she’s playing right now, there’s a good chance she can make it to Day 2 (at state) again, and hopefully get a good place.”

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Zugay's mother, Alissa Zugay, also played tennis at Ballard. She played from 1996-1999.

After COVID hit, she just wanted to give her daughter a fun activity to pass the time. But shortly after, her daughter was seeking tennis lessons and playing three to four times a week, sometimes even more than that.

“We would go to the courts in Slater and play,” Alissa Zugay. “Then she really wanted tennis lessons, so we went to The Bubble Tennis Club in Ames. She went three to four days a week. She fell in love with it and just blossomed.”

Zugay moved on to take lessons at Life Time Tennis in Urbandale. Even as she split time between schoolwork and cheer, Zugay still found three or four days a week to work on her tennis game during the offseason.

As a freshman, Zugay started as the No. 2 singles player for Ballard. By her sophomore year, it was clear she was No. 1 on the team.

As her sophomore season progressed it was evident Zugay had the potential to do some serious damage in the postseason. After her eighth-place finish at the state tournament, Zugay had firmly established herself as one of the state's best players.

“I put a lot of work into it,” Zugay said. “It was one of those things I dreamed of doing because I only had three years to do it, so I worked really hard to get there and I was very proud of myself. It was an awesome experience.”

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Zugay had dreamed of going on to play tennis in college. But as a student with a 4.1 GPA, she had even bigger academic ambitions.

After her sophomore year, Zugay had earned enough credits that, with the aid of one Advanced Placement class as a sophomore and four this year, she could graduate in 2024.

“Actually, I didn’t hear about that until this summer,” Dovre said. “She said, 'You know I’m a senior next year', and I was like...'No!' But she definitely has the capabilities to step into that senior role.” 

Zugay decided not to play tennis competitively in college. After she graduates this spring, Zugay will attend Iowa State and major in international business and communication.

“My dad (Bruno Zugay) is from Germany,” Zugay said. “I’ve always been drawn to that.”

In the meantime, Zugay continues to devote a lot of her time to the tennis court.

“She’s definitely developed into a more mature tennis player,” Dovre said. “It’s been fun to see her variety this year. She’s getting more confident with hitting some drop shots and some slice shots. She’s able to pick up weaknesses of her opponents, and that’s been really fun to see.”

The mental game is where Zugay thrives on the court.

“That’s probably my biggest strength," Zugay said. "I’m very level-headed when I’m out there. I think I have a very good court strategy. Even when my shots aren’t as strong as they should be, I think the strategy carries over.”

Her doubles partner, Adi Zeigler, enjoys playing with someone so aware of her surroundings on the court.

“She has the strategy,” Zeigler said. “We’ll meet up at the net, and Kaitlyn will say 'Hey, this corner is wide open just hit it there.' It’s fun to play with her.”

Zeigler is a senior, but she has learned a lot playing with Zugay.

“It’s fascinating watching her play,” Zeigler said. “This is my first year playing in singles, and I’ve learned from Kaitlyn that it’s just about consistency. It’s not about hitting a different shot every time.”

Zugay has high hopes for the remainder of her final season with the Bombers. She knows making it back to state and placing again is a real possibility.

With her work ethic, skill and quick wit, Zugay will be a tough out for anyone she faces.

“I just want to go out with a bang,” Zugay said. “Right now I’m undefeated. I really want to continue that as long as possible.”

Joe Randleman covers high school sports for the Ames Tribune. Contact him at jrandleman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JoeRandleman

This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Ballard senior Kaitlyn Zugay is a force on the tennis court