Girls tennis: Agnes Irwin’s Camille Smukler is Main Line Girls Athlete of the Week

A junior, Smukler plays No. 1 singles for the Owls and was a big factor in the Agnes Irwin squad capturing a share of the Inter-Ac girls tennis title this fall. She defeated EA’s Genevieve McCormick, the Inter-Ac Tournament champion, during the season, and placed second in the Inter-Ac Tournament.

Q: What, to you, has been the highlight of your Agnes Irwin tennis career to date? Can you share with us your most vivid memory of that experience?

A: When I was in eighth grade at AIS/EA Day, playing third singles. I remember I was pretty nervous because I was playing a senior. There were so many people from my class that came out to support me and stayed for my entire match even though it was freezing outside. After the match, when I walked off the court, they all swarmed around me, congratulating and hugging me even though I didn’t win. I felt so lucky to have so many people supporting me. That moment taught me that winning really isn’t the most important thing, it’s the memories you take away from the match that matter.

Q: What do you think has been your best match of this season to date? What was particularly working well for you that day?

A: My match against EA’s Genevieve McCormick. We had split sets – I won the first set 6-3, and she won the second set 6-3. Then, in the third set, I was down 0-3 and came back to win 6 straight games to win the match. I think my determination to win and faith in myself helped me come out on top that day. When I was down in the third set, I told myself that I had nothing to lose, which helped me loosen up a little. I tried to focus on the little things I needed to fix in order to win back points. My mental toughness ended up helping me a lot that day.