Red Oak tennis player Sherman signs with Grand View

RED OAK — Red Oak tennis player Erica Sherman said the turnaround point for her high school career came last season when she stepped up her game and claimed the No. 2 seeded singles spot on the team.

“Being No. 2 really gave me a lot of confidence that I could go on and play in college,” Sherman said. 

Sherman signed a letter of intent to play tennis for Grand View University at an announcement Thursday morning at the Red Oak High School.

Sherman was joined at the signing by her parents Kevin and Stephanie Hale, as well as Grand View tennis coach Bob Peterson, Red Oak tennis coaches Dan and Nita Martinez and Red Oak athletic director Jeff Spotts.

The goal for Sherman in her search for the right school was to find one close to home, that had a tennis program, as well as one for nursing, which she said will be her major.

“This had everything that I liked,” she said.

Sherman had also been considering going to Morningside College in Sioux City. Initially, Sherman visited Grand View as a sophomore and went back again as a senior and enjoyed it even more.

She said she felt more comfortable going to Grand View because of the familiarity of Des Moines.

“I really enjoyed their campus and hearing about their nursing program,” she said about Grand View.

The tennis program at Grand View has only been in existence for a few seasons, which appealed to Sherman. 

“It’s fresh and new and I’d like to get involved in it,” Sherman said.

The Grand View Vikings are 6-7 so far for the 2013-14 season. They recently scored a 5-4 win against Simpson College.

Grand View plays in the Midwest Collegiate Conference as part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).

Sherman is one of the key returners for Red Oak this season, one of two seniors playing for varsity.

 Last season, Sherman and her teammates finished second in the 1A girls team state tennis tournament. With most of the line-up back this season, the team will try to take that next big step.

“I feel like this year we can win it,” Sherman said. “We have five returning players and I feel like we can do it, no doubt.”

Red Oak has one more week before they start the 2014 season. The season begins April 14 when they host Kuemper Catholic.