Minnesota Tennis Hub | MN High School Tennis

QUICK Q&A:  MADDIE BLAKE, EAST RIDGE senior

A historical achievement: I'll be a member of the first class to graduate having gone through a full four years at the school. I was a freshman at East Ridge in its first year.

That's significant: It's kind of cool to say I was part of the first class to have gone that time at the school.

Has the newness worn off? Not really. It's still big and beautiful and it still feels new.

Have you played varsity tennis all four years? Yes. I started out playing doubles as a freshman. My sophomore year, the coach decided to play me at singles and I found out that's where I belong.

On-court strength: I think I have strong strokes. Now that I'm older, I can really pick out things about my opponents, so mentally I'm stronger.

Bread-and-butter shot: My forehand, for sure. That's definitely my strongest stroke. I can hit it harder and control it more than others.

This will be your first year playing No. 1 singles. What are your expectations? I feel like I'm a leader. I'm a captain, so those tie together. I just want to be a good example for the other girls.

Any personal goals? One of my goals is to achieve all-conference again. I did it last year at No. 2 singles.

Prematch preparation: I eat a lot of carbs. I love pasta. Any type of noodle with butter and parmesan cheese.