Hopkins County Central senior Gracie Patterson signed to continue her academic and athletic career at Brescia University on Wednesday.
Patterson, who began playing tennis as a sophomore, said the opportunity to stay close to home and join a welcoming program helped make her decision.
“I liked it because it was close to home, and when I messaged the coach, he was really welcoming and just seemed excited to have new players in the program,” Patterson said. “I’ve always enjoyed playing tennis, and my coach played there, so I just thought staying close to home could never be bad.”
Patterson has reached the round of 16 at the regional singles tournament each of the past two seasons. So far in 2026, she is 1-2 in singles play and 1-0 in doubles competition.
She said her interest in the sport developed quickly after first picking up a racket.
“I started playing tennis my sophomore year, and I would say I really enjoyed it,” she said. “It was something different that I hadn’t ever liked in another sport. So, since then, I knew I wanted to play, but I just really didn’t want to have to quit my senior year.”
At Brescia, Patterson plans to study healthcare.
