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So, Zimmer turned to tennis.

“I fell in love with it,” she said, “and have been playing ever since.”

Zimmer, a Spruce Creek junior, won nine matches this season after moving into the Hawks' No. 1 spot. Now, she's the News-Journal's Girls Tennis Player of the Year.

“It's definitely an honor,” she said. “I wasn't really expecting it at all. I'm honored to even be called (the area's top player).”

Zimmer took the Hawks' top spot from Arrice Robinson, who had been Spruce Creek's No. 1 player the previous two years. Head coach Andy Bacha made the decision after noticing big changes in Zimmer's game over the summer.

“Her serve has improved tremendously,” Bacha said. “Her groundstrokes, she's added more power to them.

She's steadied down her game. Basically, it's her total game that she's been working on – it's not just one thing that makes her a better player.”

Zimmer defeated University's Jennifer Ball, who won the District 7-3A tournament in Daytona Beach, three times this season.

The Hawks, however, had trouble with eventual regional champion Lake Mary. Zimmer and Robinson won a combined three games against Lake Mary's top two players.

As a result, the Hawks missed the state tournament for the first time since 2004, according to the FHSAA website.

I'm not used to cutting our season short and ending early,” Bacha said. “The girls were definitely disappointed, especially the seniors. It was very disappointing, and I think the girls will just put their noses to the grindstone to get back there next year.”

Zimmer, who lost 10 singles matches this season, puts the weight of the season's disappointment squarely on her shoulders.

“I feel a lot of pressure to always be the leader,” she said. “I feel like I should always come out on top. I know my team is right there, cheering me on the whole time. When I'm out there playing, I try to keep in mind that it's not me that I'm playing for – it's my team.”

The Hawks traveled all across Florida – from Vero Beach to Orlando to Gainesville and elsewhere – to find upper-echelon competition. Bacha believes Zimmer will improve in spite of the adversity and lead Spruce Creek back to the state tournament.

“We went to the toughest schools we could find, so she played a lot of top-ranked state players,” Bacha said. “A lot of her matches were close and tough. Next year, I expect her to be No. 1 again, and her game will be just that much tougher.”