Tyler Legacy's Audrey Deatherage will compete at the UIL State Tennis Tournament beginning Tuesday in San Antonio.

Tyler Legacy will be represented at the UIL State Tennis Tournament for the first time as sophomore Audrey Deatherage has qualified in Class 6A girls singles.

It is the first time the school’s tennis program will be represented since 2010 — when then Tyler Lee’s James Martell and Mitchell Martell won Class 5A boys doubles.

It’s also the first state qualifier in the career of head coach Charlie Sizemore.

“I’ve been knowing Audrey since the third or fourth grade, so to be a small part of this journey, I’m super appreciative for her and her family,” Tyler Legacy tennis coach Charlie Sizemore said. “We couldn’t ask for a better person to go to state for our team. She’s everything you ask for as a player and a person.”

As a freshman, Deatherage was tied at five at regionals with the girl who advanced to state in 2021 but had to withdraw from the match with a knee injury.

“Audrey told me that day that she was going to come back and win it,” Sizemore said. “She was emotional having to withdraw. She wanted to work hard to come back and win it. For her to do it is super awesome.”

Deatherage did just that by winning four consecutive matches at the Class 6A Region II Tournament April 11-12 in Waco.

“I’m so excited,” Deatherage said. “I was hoping I would get this far, and I did.”

Deatherage will open the state tournament against Austin Westlake’s Chloe Zeng at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Northside Tennis Center in San Antonio.

Deatherage said she’s actually faced Zeng previously.

“I’ve played her before,” Deatherage said. “I did lose. But I’m not counting that on there. I can still win. It was a close match. I definitely want to get some revenge at state.”

The winner of the first-round match will advance to the semifinals to face either Houston Westside’s Moira Silva or Allen’s Chelsie Son. On the other side of the bracket are Round Rock Westwood’s Kinaa Graham, College Park’s Anna Bong, El Paso Coronado’s Naomi Katz and Houston Memorial’s Tara Ahmadi.

Deatherage has played tennis since a young age, “since I was like 4, but I really started taking it seriously when I was 8 or 9,” she said.

Deathearage said she’s never played any other sports. Her older sister, Lilly, played tennis at Legacy and signed to play tennis at Midwestern State University, and her sister, Kate, is on the Lady Raider soccer team.

Deatherage said Sizemore, Greg Haywood and her father, Kent Deatherage, have all played a role in her success on the tennis court.

Deatherage will still have two years of high school tennis following the state tournament. But first, she has a chance to capture a state title.

“I really just want to try to get every point and do the best I can,” Deatherage said, “and hopefully win a few rounds.”

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