Regnier an Ace

Wrentham’s Erin Regnier grew up playing softball, but by the seventh grade she had found tennis and placed the diamond sport on the back burner. During her first two years in high school she found a place on the volleyball team, but coming into junior year tennis began to take over that sport as well.
“I use to love softball, but I just grew out of it,” she said. “Then with volleyball, my passion started to go away and I didn’t love it any more. I wanted to focus and improve my tennis.”
Once she began her tennis career, Regnier was not only taking lessons but also practicing with her mother on the courts. In addition to her lessons, Regnier joined USTA and began playing in tournaments. It was there that she got her first real taste of competition, and found she was able to hold her own on the courts despite facing some long-time tennis players. Going up against such talent didn’t deter the younger player. Instead, it motivated her.
Entering King Philip as a freshman, she knew that she was going to try out for the girl’s tennis team, but found herself nervous at first. Everything worked out for the freshman and she found a home at second singles for the Warriors under coach Bob Goldberg.
“I was really surprised being a freshman new to the team and I was playing second singles,” Regnier said. “I felt I earned the ability to play there.”
Regnier finished the season with an 18-2 record and went three rounds into the individual state tournament before eventually losing. The first-year player was proud of what she accomplished that year and was excited to see what she could do in the upcoming seasons.
Entering her sophomore season, Regnier felt her game had improved dramatically from the prior year. She felt her game had more power to it and was much more efficient. Playing in the first singles position that season, she went 16-4 and played into the quarterfinals of the state tournament.
“I was playing a lot of seniors and I was only a sophomore. It was tough, but I went into each game with confidence,” she said. “Going up against the older girls was intimidating, but once the match started age didn’t matter to me.”
King Philip captured Hockomock League championships in both of her first two seasons, and according to the coach Regnier had a lot to do with that.
“We won two leagues in a row and without her I don’t think we’d have accomplished that,” Goldberg said. “Erin is the complete package and as good as she was during her first two years, she was a shadow of what she is now.”
Regnier is not quite sure she agrees with her coach.
“Coming into this year (her junior season) we plan to win our third straight Hockomock championship,” she said. “It’s real sweet and nice, but I’m not too sure about his assessment.”
Since she doesn’t compete in any other sport, Regnier takes to the tennis courts year round. This past fall her club team, the Edgewood Advance, was invited to play in the USTA Nationals in Florida. There the team finished in 10th place out of 32 teams.
“It was an overall awesome experience playing teams from all over the US,” she said. “Looking to improve my game this tournament helped as we were playing against top notch athletes.”
Being a year round tennis player, Regnier could have continued to play for USTA instead of King Philip in the spring, but the Wrentham native felt playing high school tennis was important to her.
“Tennis is an individual sport, but in high school you get the whole team experience,” Regnier said. “Playing as a team you seem to learn more and it’s more enjoyable. It also gives me a break from USTA for one season.”
Regnier will once again be playing at first singles for King Philip and her coach likes what he has seen so far.
“She has a much bigger serve that has a lot of kick to it, forcing her opponents to be further back on the court to receive the ball,” Goldberg said. “Her kick is so sound it keeps opponents off balance. She has a good backhand as well as her forehand and her game is predicated on her backcourt play.”
Regnier feels that her game has continued to improve and she feels that she is much more competitive this year.
“I’m looking to go 19-1 this season. I know there is a senior girl from Sharon that I just can’t beat, but I’m looking to win the rest of my matches,” she said. “In order to do that I’m going to have to keep a positive attitude while not being distracted on the court. I can become unfocused at times and it can hurt my game.”
As a junior captain with two seasons left to play with her King Philip teammates, Regnier is already looking to major in nursing when she gets to college. And though it is tough to balance her school work with tennis, she is certainly giving it a try. For now she is hoping to guide her team to their third straight Hockomock League title and then into the state tournament, where she hopes the squad can make a deep run.