Dave Hillmer first saw Angelina Ye on the tennis courts when she was just 4 years old.

Ye’s family would be playing on the Sycamore High School tennis courts, and Hillmer often stopped by to chat, hoping to catch the interest of a girl who might later play for him at Sycamore.

By the time Ye was in seventh grade, Hillmer brought her out to hit with state qualifier Veronica Behrens. It would be good experience for Ye, who was coming into her own as a young tennis player, but Hillmer also wanted competition for Behrens. The five-year age difference didn’t matter to him.