Underclassmen don’t usually light up the Varsity court with their athletic skills, but sophomore Robert Zhang has reached a level of success that is rare for an underclassman. Zhang qualified for state placing second in the singles bracket.

To reach such a level of success at this age requires a certain mindset.

“When i’m in the moment I don’t really think about anything else other than winning,” Zhang said. “Everytime I play I always think about how much I truly enjoy playing tennis, and it somethings I hope to continue to do later in my life.”

Zhang will head to state on Friday with the rest of the state qualifiers. While Zhang made it to state this year, he fell short last year by the outcome of a single match.

“It feels like a second chance from last year,” Zhang said. “I had all of the cards in play, but I couldn’t finish at the league tournament which if I had won, I would have had a better seating at regionals which would have given me a much better chance at making it to state.”