South Arkansas College tennis coach Casey Rapp signed his second player on Friday. Smackover senior Taylor Darden inked with the Stars and their inaugural program.
“I am so excited to have Taylor Darden commit to playing tennis at South Arkansas College. She will be a great asset to our program,” Rapp said. “Taylor is a player that works very hard in everything she does and that kind of work ethic will take her very far.”
Darden is a four-sport athlete, playing tennis, basketball, softball and cheerleading for the Lady Bucks. She recently posted a 15-2 singles record on the tennis court, won the 3A 8 district singles title for the third time and advanced to the second round of the 3A State Tournament.
“I am very excited to play tennis in college. Since the beginning of senior year, it was a goal to play at the next level because I knew I didn’t want it to end after the season,” said Darden. “I really never thought about playing tennis in college until junior year because I’ve always been in love with softball, which I still am.”
Darden advanced in the state tournament her last two years. Competing against a higher caliber of competition sparked her interest into playing at the next level.
“It was very disappointing to lose my match but I was also still very proud of myself because I kept up with some amazing athletes until I couldn’t. I played a really good girl so I was still happy with myself, just wish I could have gone farther,” she said. “I realized that same day that I could play tennis in college. Casey Rapp came to watch me and when I got beat out second round I realized I didn’t want it to be over and I have fallen in love with the game.”
And for the first time, Darden will be able to focus on one sport. She’s excited to see how good she could become at tennis.
“I think it will be a lot better to just focus on one sport. Throughout high school it has been hard to juggle multiple sports and also practicing each sport the same day so I think this will be a lot easier on me. I think I can get a lot better with much more practice,” said Darden, who hopes to eventually earn a higher degree in nursing.
“Taylor is a smart tennis player with a great tennis game. She can hit the ball hard but also knows how to change up the pace of her game,” said Rapp. “I think we will see her do great things next year while she is focusing solely on tennis. In addition to her athletic ability, Taylor’s character and positivity are standout qualities. I think she is a very well rounded individual and I’m very much looking forward to the opportunity to work with her next year.”
Darden is the second player to sign for tennis at SouthArk, joining Hampton's Laken Williams.