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Freedom tennis player wins championship match

The marathon match made her the best among No. 1 players qualifying with a team. But it drained her for her next duel.

By TERRY JONES
Published May 6, 2005

TAMPA PALMS - After winning the most grueling and memorable match of her high school career, Laura Gioia was exhausted and in tears.

The marathon four-hour match ended with her winning 4-6, 6-4, 7-5, and winning something irreplaceable: a state championship.

With the victory, the 18-year-old Freedom High School senior became the 2005 Class 2A state champion for No. 1 players qualifying with a team. A different bracket was made up of No. 1 players winning No. 1 singles titles in district tournaments and competing in the state tournament without a team.

In her match for the overall individual championship, Gioia discovered the real cost of her state title; her energy had been drained, and she lost another long match 6-4, 4-6, 2-6.

"During my USTA tournament career, I had been in tough matches, but that one I will always remember," Gioia said. "My teammates were all cheering and supporting me. I just could not let them down."

As a team, Freedom High placed third in Florida for Class 2A teams.

Gioia qualified for the state tournament all four years in prep competition. The first two years were at King High, but she transferred to Freedom as a junior to attend school in her neighborhood.

"I didn't compete in USTA tournaments last year because I wanted to focus on my grades, my senior tennis season and enjoying my senior year," Gioia said.

Her focus paid off in all categories.

She will finish at Freedom with an unweighted GPA of 4.0 and a weighted one of 6.08. Even with all that academic success, she still finished third in her senior class.

Even though she didn't play all the No. 1 matches for the Freedom Patriots, she won all eight regular season matches. She didn't even yield a game until a 6-1 set in the district championship match.

Her only loss for the season was the state final overall championship match.

She decided early on to attend Furman University, a Division I college in Greenville, S.C.

"I had no idea where I wanted to play college tennis, but I reduced my list to the five colleges I was allowed to visit and chose Furman," she said. "I loved the academic atmosphere, the other team members were like a family, there are four seasons there and the scenery around Greenville is just beautiful."

The other universities she visited were Richmond, William and Mary, Rice and Indiana.

Until graduation later this month, she will close out high school and enjoy the senior activities. She plans to compete in several large USTA and International Tennis Association tournaments before reporting to Furman in September.

"As I think of home, I will miss my family of course," she said. "I will also miss my teammates and other friends at school. But I believe I will be very busy with my studies. My education is important to me. Right now I am interested in the medical or dental field."

[Last modified May 5, 2005, 01:31:12]