“I’ve never played before, but it seemed fun!!”

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“I’ve never played before, but it seemed fun!!”

March 8, 2013 by David Svien

Haleigh Deasy and boyfriend Larry Hurlburt.

Ken Stange is the Pied Piper.

Whatever tune the Coupeville High School girls’ tennis coach is playing, it’s working. The Wolves had an astonishing 28 players turn out this season, 19 of whom are in the first year in the sport.

Haleigh Deasy is one of those newcomers, a sophomore who played volleyball from seventh through ninth grade, but who had never picked up a racket competitively until this season.

“I’ve never played before, but it seemed fun!,” Deasy said.

She’s teaming with transplanted track sensation Joye Jackson to form a doubles team that is on the rise.

As the duo head towards their first action (the season kicks off Tuesday, March 12), they, along with the many other newcomers, are deep into learning the skills of a new sport.

With that comes figuring out strengths and weaknesses, and then working on those areas in need of improvement.

“My strength in tennis is my forehand,” Deasy said. “Sadly, my serves are a little on the suckish side.

“I’m getting to work with new people and learning better teamwork skills,” she added. “I just want to help not only myself improve, but my teammate as well, and to just kick some butt!”

Away from the court, she’s a self-professed “CSI” junkie (“I enjoy anything that involves criminal forensics!”) and huge music fan.

“I really enjoy music,” Deasy said. “Country and classic rock are the bomb!”

And when she needs inspiration, either in sports or in regular life, she doesn’t have to look too far. Former Wolf track star Larry Hurlburt is always there to offer her a pick-me-up at the right moment.

“Probably my best friend (and boyfriend),” Deasy said when asked to name her biggest supporter. “He encourages me to become a better person by telling me I’m better than what people tell me I am.”