Maine South O’Connor twins cement college plans
By MATT HARNESS mharness@pioneerlocal.com January 15, 2012 3:18PM
Hayley O'Connor, left, and her twin sister Audrey at Maine South on Jan. 13, 2012, in Park Ridge. Both sisters are going to be playing Division 1 tennis next year at different colleges. | Rob Hart~Sun-Times Media
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Updated: February 20, 2012 8:13AM
Audrey and Hayley O’Connor set their sights on playing tennis in college a long time ago.
The Maine South twins went about securing invitations their own way, even skipping their senior seasons with the Hawks to focus on training at their club in Lake Bluff.
It all worked out in the end.
Audrey will play tennis at Illinois, and Hayley earned an appointment to West Point, where she also will play tennis.
Audrey is considered one of the top players in the state and among the best the country. She was seeded in both state tournaments she played in during high school.
“Initially, I wanted to go south for the better weather,” Audrey said. “But I changed my mind after I visited Illinois. The coaches are great, and the team is close. It’s a program on the rise, and it’s exciting to be part of something like that.”
Also a former state qualifier, Hayley went a different direction, following older brother Jesse to a U.S. service academy. Jesse Connor is at the Air Force Academy, where he used to play baseball for the Falcons.
“I originally just wanted to play tennis, but I always was exposed to the academies,” said Hayley, whose father went to West Point. She leaves for boot camp at the end of June and owes the military a five years after graduation. “When I was recruited by the (Army) coach, I said no. Then, I visited there, and I really connected. I like the whole idea of what it stands for, plus the tennis is good.”
Although the O’Connors didn’t play in high school, they constantly worked on their games. After making their college choices, they haven’t played many tournaments, instead opting to work on parts of their games.
“We usually play a lot more tournaments, so college coaches could see us,” Audrey said. “But we didn’t have that pressure after making our decisions. We just worked on our games.
“I was focused on my net game, my serve and point development.”
Hayley said the serve, specifically her second serve, has been her primary area of concentration.
“It’s going well,” she said of the offseason. “I’m training a lot with Audrey.”
The sisters will get back into play at the end of this month when they play in a tournament for the opportunity to qualify for professional event in Midland, Mich., next month.
“That’s something we haven’t ever done,” Audrey said. “It will be cool to see what kind of competition we get to play. It will be a great experience, for sure.”
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