Junior Yatou Sallah’s killer serve and ability to hit winners on any part of the court are enough to intimidate her opponents, but Sallah’s game and mental focus are vital to her role on the Mason girls varsity tennis team. Last season, Sallah moved up from the number two seed for singles to the number one spot halfway through the season and will play at the number one spot for the upcoming season. Sallah’s overall record last year was 8-2 with losses to Broad Run and Maggie Walker.

“[Sallah] is the glue to the team,” senior Andrea Dilao said. “She stays optimistic even if the outlook doesn’t look great and she plays a really smart game.”

This year will only be Sallah’s second year on the Mason team, but she has been playing tennis for over 10 years.  She started playing in Senegal as a way to hang out with friends, but she began to take tennis more seriously when she realized her passion for the game.

“Yatou plays best when she is confident in her abilities,” head coach Stephen Whitcomb said. “She is an aggressive player and she is able to maintain her sense of humor even after a close loss.”

Last season, Sallah made it to the conference finals for singles. This season, Sallah hopes to beat Maggie Walker, one of Mason’s biggest tennis rivals, and to make it all the way to State Championship.

“This season I hope to improve my confidence playing some of the bigger schools, like Maggie Walker, and just getting into the mindset that states is achievable,” Sallah said.

You’ll want to watch Sallah this year as she leads the team back on the road to states.  Sallah’s consistent groundstrokes and aggressive playing style make her a standout player that The Lasso believes will lead her to surpass her impressive achievements from last year.