Port Huron Northern's Lily VanHowe named Times Herald Girls Tennis Player of the Year

PORT HURON — When it comes to tennis, Lily VanHowe can talk about anything.

Usually, the discussion is focused on the girls team at Port Huron Northern High School, where she played No. 1 singles the last two years. The conversation centers around her teammates and coaches.

From there, VanHowe expands beyond the Huskies to mention the kids she mentors at the Port Huron Tennis House.

There's one topic she doesn't like to talk about — herself. But recently, VanHowe hasn't had a choice.

She was selected as the Ms. Tennis nominee for Division 1 by the Michigan High School Tennis Coaches Association (MHSTeCA) last month.

Due to a tie in the voting process, VanHowe shared the nomination with Troy's Nika Tananko. Forest Hills Central's Lily Ohlman, the Division 2 nominee, was ultimately named Ms. Tennis.

"I'm really honored to even be considered for it," VanHowe said. "Tennis has really shaped me as a person. So, to get this, it's really an honor. Just because it represents how I've worked on and off the court — to shape myself and my game."

"It doesn't shock me at all that she would get (this recognition)," Northern coach Tiffany Odlum said. "If you're talking about a kid — on the court and off the court — being the full package and such a great ambassador to the sport, it's Lily VanHowe."

And that's one of the reasons why she's the Times Herald Girls Tennis Player of the Year.

"Lily was elected a senior captain this year," Odlum said. "She really took the role and ran with it. If Lily wasn't on court playing her match, she was going to her teammates' court and cheering them on — even if she didn't win (her own match). That's really unique in an individual sport, (especially) while being the best player on the team. She just wants the team to win."

The Huskies won a lot this season, which resulted in their fourth straight trip to the MHSAA Division 1 state finals .

Northern placed sixth out the 27 teams that participated. It also had three singles players advance to their respective semifinals — Addison Lyons (No. 2 singles), Amara Makim (No. 3 singles) and Ashlyn Kinney (No. 4 singles).

"Lily is a great teammate," Lyons said. "She's always been extremely helpful, especially to me, as a co-captain, she's just been so great. She really loves to see everyone else succeed.

"Alongside all the success she's had, she's always been very adamant about being a team player. Even if, sometimes, she wouldn't win (on a particular day), she was always making sure that her teammates felt supported and loved and that there was someone who had their backs."

VanHowe's passion extends to all aspects of the game, especially her work ethic.

"I've known Lily since I was probably three or four," Makim said. "I think a lot of people don't realize how much time she puts in (practicing). She probably put in double what the rest of us were doing, which is a lot.

"Not only that, but she also gives back so much. She coaches all the time. The little kids at the Tennis House love her. Every time they see her, they run up and give her a hug. She's a really good role model for that younger generation, too."

Of the countless memories created between VanHowe and her teammates, it's the simple ones that stick out.

"Our freshman year, she was able to drive and I wasn't," said Harris, who is VanHowe's best friend. "Some of our matches had terrible weather. So, I just remember we'd always go in her car and hang out for a little bit, because we'd have these long delays. That was always fun because we don't really see each other very much during matches, because she's the furthest court from mine."

"It was either my sophomore year or my junior year," Makim said. "We were playing Eisenhower and she had already finished her match. The girl that I was playing took a medical timeout. It was probably 95 degrees and everyone was sitting in their cars to watch. But (VanHowe) was sitting out there watching me in the heat."

Added Makim: "During the timeout, (VanHowe) came onto the court and talked to me about my match. She brought me an umbrella and a cool towel. That's one of the things I love about her so much, is how good of a teammate she always is to everyone."

As for VanHowe, her favorite memory occurred during the No. 2 singles tournament of the 2022 Division 1 state finals.

"My (quarterfinal) match didn't start until 7 p.m. that night," VanHowe said. "I was playing Bloomfield Hills and they were very competitive, this girl and I both wanted to make it to the second day."

VanHowe was the sixth seed, while Bloomfield Hills' Raegan Tomina came as the third.

"Our match was three sets with super-long rallies," VanHowe said. "But the whole time, the Bloomfield Hills team was cheering against me using rubber chickens ... it was probably a three-hour match."

Despite the hostile environment, VanHowe prevailed (6-2, 4-6, 6-3).

"When I was done, the whole (Northern) team came onto the court," VanHowe said. "Everybody was cheering and hugging me. I felt very loved. To see our team come together, it was awesome."

"It was such an emotional period of time," Lyons said. "We were still really young, as it was only our second year on the team. But watching her do that and be so excited — she just said she wanted to do that for the team."

For VanHowe, it's always been about the team, the community and the sport.

"I'm most proud of the example I've set for the younger kids with sportsmanship and the integrity of playing," VanHowe said. "I was up at the Tennis House every single day just working on my game. I feel like it showed the younger kids, or anyone, that you can always keep playing and improving your game.

"No matter what, you can always persevere — through anything."

Contact Brenden Welper at bwelper@gannett.com . Follow him on Twitter @BrendenWelper .

This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: Port Huron Northern's Lily VanHowe named Times Herald Girls Tennis Player of the Year