Darter Displays Poise, Ability

Youthful Tennis Player Competes With Calmness Beyond Her Years

Alye Darter of Rogers Heritage has been named All-NWA Media Singles Player of the Year.
Alye Darter of Rogers Heritage has been named All-NWA Media Singles Player of the Year.

— Rogers Heritage tennis coach Allison Payne knew Alye Darter was a talented player, but even she wasn’t sure how the freshman would react to playing at the high school level.

Darter quickly showed her coach she meant business.

She rolled through the regular season unbeaten in singles play and took only 35 minutes to claim the 7A/6A-West Conference title.

Singles Player Of The Year

Alye Darter

School: Rogers Heritage

Class: Freshman

Height: 5-4

Notable: Won the 7A/6A-West Conference girls singles title without dropping a set ... Claimed the Class 7A state girls singles crown before losing in the quarterfinals of the overall girls singles draw ... Lost just one singles match during her first season of high school tennis ... Played for the Heritage freshman volleyball team this season and also participated in the Heritage Show Choir.

Darter ran into trouble in the state finals, dropping a set and falling behind in the third and deciding set. But she refocused and claimed the state title with a three-set victory.

For her efforts, Darter has been named the All-NWA Media Girls Singles Player of the Year.

Darter, who didn’t turn 15 until after the season was over, admitted she felt some nerves facing Fort Smith Southside’s Lindsey Pearce, a state tournament veteran, in the finals.

“I knew she’d beaten some of my friends, and I didn’t know how it would go,” Darter said.

Darter took the first set 6-2 but dropped the second set 6-4 and trailed 2-1 in the third. Payne said Darter was able to regain her focus in that third set.

“She had to calm down and focus on what did work for her,” Payne said. “She had to make those adjustments, stick with it and not get down. That was a great win for her. Not just the strategical part, but the mental side was huge for her.”

Even Darter’s older sister, Kinsey Morris, a junior who plays soccer at Central Baptist College in Conway, acknowledged Alye shows great calmness on the court.

“It’s funny watching her; she’s so chilled,” Morris said with a laugh. “I never played tennis, but if I did, I’d be screaming. She shows, like, no emotion.”

Darter’s mother, Patti, said that’s something she’s been taught. But Darter admitted it’s not always successful.

Darter started playing tennis tournaments at 8 years old and was ranked among the top 14-and-younger players in Arkansas this past year. She and her family travel all over the South during the spring and summer months, so tennis is serious business at the Darter household.

That’s one reason why Payne was unsure how Darter would approach high school tennis, but she came away very impressed.

“She showed that it really did mean a lot to her,” Payne said. “It turned out to be a great experience and her win at state was a great experience..”

Darter also brought more than just her talent to the Heritage tennis team, Payne said.

“It’s a huge advantage to have a player like Alye in many different ways,” Payne said. “Even more than her knowledge of the game and ability, other players are able to see how much work she puts in it to be as good of a player as she is. She’s a model for the other players in so many ways.”

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