The senior Hocker sisters – Caroline and Chloe – are entering the season with plenty of motivation after a breakthrough junior season that saw them finish as the Class 5A doubles runner-up and help the Crusaders place third as a team.
Now, they are hoping to take the final step.
“We are most excited about seeing new faces and playing our last year together,” the Hockers said. “We are excited about the season and all of the fun memories that we make at out-of-school tournaments with our friends.”
The sisters have already proven they can compete with the best in the state. They finished last season with a 30-3 record and advanced to the Class 5A doubles championship match. Their performance helped Kapaun Mount Carmel earn a third-place finish in the team standings.
Their success has come from plenty of preparation.
The Hockers worked with a personal coach throughout the offseason and dedicated significant time to improving their games. Their summer schedule often included two practices a day — one in the morning and another with their school team.
“We have a personal coach that has helped us tremendously with our skills,” they said. “We usually practice twice a day, once in the morning and then at school practice. During the summer was where we dedicated a lot of time and energy to our practicing.”
Much of that work focused on the fundamentals.
The sisters know that even after reaching a state championship match, there is always another part of their games that can improve. They spent considerable time working on footwork, using ladder drills and other exercises to become more efficient around the court.
“We both worked on our fundamentals as you can always improve on something,” they said. “We practiced a lot of footwork to help us improve on simple things in the sport. We worked on these by doing ladder drills and lots of drills.”
That attention to detail has helped turn the Hockers into one of Kapaun’s most experienced doubles tandems.
They now enter their final season with a clear goal: finish on top.
“Our ultimate goal is to win state as a doubles team and enjoy our last year as seniors,” the sisters said.
They also have a team goal that extends beyond their own success.
They want the Crusaders to remain united throughout the season and make another deep run at the state tournament.
“Our goals for the team are to all be united and hopefully make a good run at the state level all together,” they said.
For Caroline and Chloe, the opportunity is particularly meaningful because of how much they have accomplished together.
Their 30-3 record last season, state runner-up finish and third-place team finish established a strong foundation. Now, with one final season remaining, the Hockers have one more chance to turn that experience into a championship.
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