Even though the Simpson College women’s tennis team came up short in a 5-2 loss to Grand View University this week at Crossroads Park, junior Grace Peck stood out with a dominant performance in both singles and doubles, all while playing left-handed because of an injury.
Peck tore a ligament in her right wrist about a month ago and is scheduled for surgery on April 10. Instead of ending her season, she switched to her non-dominant hand to keep competing.
“I felt good about how I played,” Peck said. “I stayed positive throughout my match and tried to hit the shots I’d been working on. There’s always room for improvement, but I won my singles 6-0, 6-0 and my doubles 6-0.”
Adjusting to her left hand hasn’t been easy. Peck said the hardest part has been staying mentally strong when she can’t hit shots like she used to.
“The biggest challenge was not being too hard on myself when I couldn’t hit the shots I typically hit right-handed,” she said.
Still, she finished the match with a sense of pride, especially with her teammates and family there to watch.
“Probably the end of my match when I won the last point,” she said when asked about a moment that stood out. “It was a good feeling knowing I persevered through my injury and found a way to play. The result reflected how hard I’ve worked this month, and to have my family and teammates see that was really rewarding.”
Simpson’s only other win came from Peck’s doubles match. While the rest of the singles and doubles matches went to Grand View, three of the singles matches were decided in tiebreakers.
“All the other singles lost, and the other doubles lost, so we ended the meet 2-5,” Peck said. “But I think everyone was proud of how they played. It was a close one.”
Peck said her doubles match was special not just because of the win but because it was Hannah Roth’s first time winning a match.
“We haven’t played together before, so there was a bit of a learning curve,” she said. “But we just tried our best to lift each other up. It was her first win playing tennis because she just started in the fall, so that was exciting to celebrate.”
Now, with surgery on the way, Peck said she’s thankful she still got a chance to play this spring and learned a lot from the challenge.
“When the doctor told me I couldn’t play anymore, I felt so defeated,” she said. “But then someone gave me the idea to play left-handed, and it gave me hope. I learned that anything is possible; it’s just about making adjustments when you hit obstacles.”
Once she recovers, she hopes to keep building on what she’s learned.
“After surgery, I’m going to start working again, and hopefully, the work I’ve done with my left hand helps me become a better player overall,” Peck said.
Even with a team loss, Peck’s performance showed what determination and positivity can lead to, even with one hand tied behind her back.