WHAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF: Newton-Conover rising junior Alexa Allison achieves best year in prep tennis career so far

NEWTON, N.C.  — Growth is a natural process of life. Whether it be height, maturity, etc. The same is true when it comes to athletics. 

One must progress in any sport he or she competes in otherwise that individual will just fall to the wayside.

For Newton-Conover rising junior Alexa Allison, there has been exceptional growth in her athletic career, particularly in tennis. 

“I have been around tennis for as long as I can remember, but I’ve been serious about it and competing competitively since I was 13,” she said. “During those years, I have developed a true love and strong passion for the sport that I can’t really describe. I’ve played other competitive sports, but none of them have given me the same thrilling feeling that tennis does. But most importantly, when I’m on a tennis court, I feel at home.”

Beginning as the No. 1 option for the Lady Red Devils during her freshman campaign in 2019, Allison was thrust into competition. However, she has worked to hone her craft, and it showed in 2021. 

She came off of a solid freshman season in which she made the South Fork 2A All-Conference team and collected a 13-2 singles record. She qualified for the 2019 North Carolina High School Athletic Association 2A Regionals and then States where she earned a first-round victory before falling in the next round to Oak Grove’s Jessica Fuchs. 

It was a quick conclusion to her first taste of States, but Allison was determined to get back and she did. 

“After having a successful freshman year, I knew I would be expected to do even better this season despite still being an underclassmen,” she said. “I put a lot of pressure on myself knowing all eyes were on me. As a result, I’ve been working day in and day out to achieve my biggest goal of the season which was winning the conference tournament.”

She also said that after last season, she made a coaching change to assist in her goal:

“I came into this season feeling even stronger with new skills. One of the main things that helped me this season was better strategy and point construction. Not only did I know how to put my opponent on defense and set up points, but I also knew when it was time to attack and when it was time to be conservative. I’m really proud of how I put these things into action, and I intend to keep working on this for the upcoming season.”

Given that, Allison garnered a 7-0 singles record in the regular-season (according to MaxPreps) before competing in the conference tournament with the hopes of qualifying for Regionals once again. 

She outlasted her opponents on her late dad’s 55th birthday on June 2, winning the tourney and clinching the top spot in the conference as she advanced to the 2021 2A West Regionals.

“Winning conference on my father’s birthday was incredibly special to me,” she said. “I was fighting back a lot of emotions when I exited the court after winning the championship. He’s the reason I have the drive to do big things on (and off) the court. I was able to give him one heck of a heavenly birthday present. I lost him to cancer in 2014, almost seven years ago.

“Before he left us, one of the things he instilled in me was to always follow my dreams. A motto my family and I live by daily. Winning conference was a step forward to achieving my dreams I have for myself in tennis. I work hard everyday in hopes of achieving my dreams for him.”

In terms of her dreams, thanks to her strong play, Allison was also crowned the South Fork 2A Conference Player of the Year for the first time. 

Taking her talents to Regionals, she came in as the No. 3 overall seed in the 2A West Regional beginning on June 18, competing in a tough first-round match against Hendersonville’s Ramsey Ross and winning in straight sets, 7-5 and 6-4.

In the second round, she defeated No. 6 seed Willa Gettys of East Rutherford in consecutive sets, 6-1 and 6-0.

With just two more matches left in hopes of winning Regionals, Allison lost to Fred T. Foard rising senior Alexis Wolgemuth (eventual 2A state champion) in the semifinals, 0-6 and 2-6. It was her first loss of the year, at the time.

Due to her ability to reach the semis, she still qualified for her second 2A State Championships appearance.

When she arrived at Cary Tennis Park on June 25, she competed in first-round action against Currituck County’s Marley Renner and won in straight sets, 6-0 and 6-0.

On that same day, she battled in the 2A quarterfinals against Salisbury’s Abbey Lawson and defeated her in consecutive sets, 6-0 and 6-0.

Then came the real challenge as she faced a familiar foe in Oak Grove’s Jessica Fuchs in the semifinals on June 26. The winner of this match would advance to the 2A State Championship Final. Unfortunately, Fuchs was again Allison’s kryptonite as she fell in straight sets, 0-6 and 3-6. 

Allison finished with a 21-2 overall record (including singles and doubles) on the season.

“The most challenging part of facing Jessica again was knowing that I was about to play one of the toughest competitors I’ve ever been matched against,” said Allison. “She’s both physically and mentally tough, and I knew I would have to play the best I ever have to get past her. 

“Despite the outcome, I was really happy with the way I played against her. Looking forward, I want to work on closing out points faster and more aggressively and also my mental game. I’m really excited to see what next season holds.”