When Upperman launched its girls tennis program, it did so with a roster full of unknowns. For senior Julia Lee, that meant stepping onto the court for the very first time in a competitive match without any prior experience.
Now, just one season later, Lee has emerged as one of the Lady Bees’ top contributors, and one of their leaders.
Upperman’s inaugural season brought together a group of athletes who were almost entirely new to the sport. Lee said the learning curve was steep, but it also created something special.
“Everybody was new, so it was just kind of like a learning experience in growing for all of us so we did bond pretty well. It’s like one big family and we do stuff off the court as well,” Lee said. “It’s just really nice having that community here with us.”
Lee said the Lady Bees did not just build a team. They built a foundation.
Lee competed in both singles and doubles play during her first year and quickly found herself in a major role. She now ranks as part of Upperman’s number one doubles pairing. Her development did not happen overnight.
Lee said her junior season was challenging as she worked to understand the technical and strategic aspects of tennis. But while her strokes and positioning improved with time, Lee said the biggest breakthrough came mentally.
“It’s just really all about your mental game,” Lee said. “You got to stay positive and not think about it too much.”
That mindset became critical during tough early matches. Rather than letting mistakes compound, Lee focused on staying composed and steady, something especially important in doubles play.
Communication was another hurdle. Paired with Maggie in doubles competition, Lee said it took time for the two to find rhythm and chemistry on the court.
“When [Maggie and I] got paired up first year, it did take us a while for us to get to know our way of playing and communicating together,” Lee said. “But we are getting a lot better about that.”
The progress has been evident. What began as a trial-by-fire season for a brand-new program has turned into momentum heading into year two.
Lee enters this spring as one of three seniors on the roster, giving her a leadership role on a team that is still writing its history. From first-time competitor to number one doubles player, Lee’s journey mirrors Upperman tennis itself: New, growing and steadily improving.