Kate Monfils wasn’t expecting to play varsity tennis for the Lady Hubs this season. But the Rochelle Township High School sophomore has enjoyed her first year with the program, and despite being the only underclassman on the varsity roster, Monfils has been a bright spot on a Rochelle squad that has struggled to secure victories this fall.

While the Lady Hubs are winless through 17 matches, Monfils has anchored Rochelle in doubles play this season. The sophomore teamed up with senior Lillian Fulgencio to beat DeKalb’s Lorena Robles and Holly Young in No. 2 doubles on Aug. 23 before joining forces with junior Lila Roush to pick up a victory over Dixon’s Kailey Woolard and Nicole Stockdale on Sept. 11.

“It’s been fun for me,” Monfils said. “I really like tennis and I’m upset I didn’t play last year… I don’t take losses easily and I try to make myself better to get more wins. With this being a new sport for me, I try my hardest at practice and I try to get things done.”

Monfils grew up honing her skills at the RTHS Summer Tennis Camp under the direction of RTHS Hall of Famer Mike Pence, and even though she didn’t try out for the team as a freshman, she wanted to avoid making the same mistake this year. With many seniors filling in the varsity lineup this fall, Monfils has a chance to become a staple of the Lady Hubs tennis program over the next two years.

“I was putting things in my locker one day and I saw coach [Lizzie] Cartwright,” Monfils said. “I talked to her and she convinced me to go out for the team… I wasn’t expecting to play varsity at all, and I was more surprised than nervous that I made varsity.”

A two-sport athlete who plays basketball in the winter, Monfils isn’t easily intimidated, particularly on the tennis court. She said her serves and her backhand shots have improved the most since the start of the season, and she also said she’s adjusted to the speed of opponents’ serves after practicing at home with her father Mike Monfils.

The sophomore certainly comes from an athletic background. Her mother Colleen Monfils played basketball growing up, while her older brother Tim Monfils currently plays basketball and football at Cornell College in Iowa. Her older sister Megan Monfils cheered at RTHS prior to graduating, and her younger brother Daniel Monfils carried the football for Rochelle Junior Tackle’s seventh grade team this fall.

What’s even more impressive is that Monfils has excelled in two sports while battling through a knee disorder called Fat Pad Syndrome (also knows as Fat Pad Impingement or Hoffa’s Syndrome). Monfils underwent surgery on her right knee in July 2016 before having surgery on her left knee in February 2017. The first surgery caused her to miss part of her summer conditioning program for basketball, and she was eased into the action during her freshman basketball season at RTHS.

“I have high knee caps and parts of the fat pads were slipping out from underneath my knee caps and causing me lots of pain and swelling,” she said. “It was rough seeing everybody give it their all when I had to sit out for certain drills.”

Monfils said she still experiences pain in her knees, but she also said she has learned how to persevere and remain focused on her sports. While she spent roughly two months rehabbing from her surgeries, she said her time rehabbing created an interest in pursuing physical therapy as a profession after high school.

“I like human anatomy because my dad is doctor,” Monfils said. “When I had surgery on my knees I had to go through physical therapy and I really liked the environment with MOI (Midwest Orthopaedic Institute) over at Rochelle Community Hospital. It just really made me want to do it.”