Andjelija “Jelly” Bozovic ’17 takes foot on the Hinsdale Central court, eyeing down her friend as well as opponent, Olivia Oosterbaan ’19. After carefully bouncing the ball four times, Bozovic lifts her racquet, tosses the ball up, and swings. Swiftly defeating the 11^th ranked player in Illinois, Bozovic helps LT take the win at the Hinsdale Central invitational.

Since the age of 6, Bozovic has continually increased her level of competition. By 10 she was competing at a national level and beginning to stand out. Since then, tennis has become a priority, dedicating two to three hours daily to the sport.

“Her strongest skill is her tenacity,” varsity head coach Bill Wham said. “She hates to lose more than liking to win. If she’s hitting her forehand well, you can’t beat her.”

Bozovic travels solo year-round to compete in national tournaments in places such as California, Tennessee and around the Midwest.

“It’s individual, but I personally like individual because you worry about yourself and only yourself,” Bozovic said. “It’s less stressful.”

This all changes when high school season comes around. Suddenly there is the team aspect. Although Bozovic may win her match, the win depends on the team as a whole, and her individual record at that point means nothing, Wham said. Bozovic has worked to ensure both her and her team succeed.

“She doesn’t come to practice and screw around,” Wham said. “She plays and works on specifics, and she has improved.”

The team is optimistic towards the upcoming state tournament after placing fourth as a team last year. Individually, Bozovic, ranked third in Illinois, lost in the fourth round to last year’s one seed Isabella Lorenzini ’17 from Hinsdale Central, ranked second. This year, however, the aim is to place third or higher.  Both Bozovic and teammate Lahari Yelamanchili ’19 have the ability to potentially place into the quarter-finals, and hopefully send one into the semis, Wham said. In order to achieve this, the team must maintain a good record throughout the season and in turn earn a high seed.

“Jelly’s got a big game, and if she gets more consistent on her forehand and her serve, she will be a force both at state and in college,” Wham said.

After high school Bozovic will shift her focus on a tennis career. Currently she plans to play division one in the Big Ten, although she has not officially committed to any team yet.

“I want to see if I can take it even further,” Bozovic said. “Potentially I could play in worlds or other international tournaments, and maybe even go pro.”

With her focus on this season, however, Bozovic is excited to play, especially at state. The support from classmates and teammates is what makes high school season differ from national competitions, she said. Bozovic is a social person, which is essential when working with a team, Wham said.

“She supports her teammates,” Wham said. “As far as coaching goes, she listens, which is 90 percent of coaching. She’s has good coaching over the years privately, but when she’s out here with us, she’ll listen. She’s been a pleasure to work with.”