A hush falls over the crowd as sophomore Dillon Nguyen prepares for the final serve – the one to determine the match point. Sweat gathers on his forehead as he prepares himself. Glancing quickly upwards, Nguyen sends the ball flying.

Such experiences aren’t foreign to Nguyen; tennis is a familiar sport to him. Not only does he play recreationally, but he also plays singles for the Lincoln boy’s tennis team. Despite his age, Nguyen is well-respected on the team as an essential member, as well as a skilled athlete.

First inspired as a child by trips to Golden Gate Park with his sister, Nguyen began playing tennis since the tender age of nine.

However, because of injuries, Nguyen took a break for two years. It was only one year ago, upon entering Lincoln, that Nguyen returned to the sport and joined the Lincoln tennis team.

“Dillion is a BEAST,” joked teammate senior Garrick Lee, who has been on the team for four years.

Senior Phillip Sam Cheang, another teammate, commented that Nguyen is “a good guy – serious when he needs to be, but fun.”

In consensus, the team agreed that Nguyen’s role on the team is invaluable.

“Dillon is a good player. He could take all city this year,

said Lee. “Last year, he ranked 5th in all city – as a freshman, too.”

Even when faced with fierce admiration, Nguyen remains humble,

“Last year was okay,” said Nguyen, when asked about All City.

“I’m more healthy now. I could have done better in [last year’s] All City.”

It is his competitive spirit that keeps him going in matches.

“It’s a really competitive sport,” said Nguyen.

“I like playing singles because it’s more of a challenge. When you play singles, you come up with game plans on your own, so it’s more independent.”

However, being the lone player on the team hasn’t isolated him from the team. In fact, Nguyen and other team members formed a team for the recent school event, Lincoln Gladiators. In school, Nguyen is “well-rounded [both on and off the court] and does well in academics,” noted senior Alan Ly, who also plays on the tennis team alongside Nguyen.

This athlete’s favorite subject, to no surprise, is physical education, “because you get to play sports.”

His natural love for sports and competition is not just limited to tennis, either. Recently, he joined the Community Youth Center (CYC) dragon boat, and is having fun with it.

Nguyen’s love for the game of tennis brought him back to tennis before, but he doesn’t plan on pursuing tennis as a career. At the moment, it seems that his senior year may be his last year with the racket before he pursues something else. Still, the season looks bright for Lincoln’s tennis star with the team’s winning streak.