Homestead sophomore ready for state.

Seeding. Andie Weise understands how much, or actually how little, it matters.

At this time a year ago the Homestead sophomore headed to the WIAA state tournament with a No. 11 seed.

Two days later she’d beaten two players pegged ahead of her to finish fourth. It was easily the biggest jump in the field.

This week she returns to state with the tournament’s No. 1 seed and the memory of how she nearly turned the field upside down last year.

“I’ve played in enough tournaments to know that seeds don’t mean anything,” she said.

That’s not totally true. This year her seed is a measure of quite a resume in what has been a transition year of sorts.

Last year she was able to ease into varsity competition while then-senior Katya Mikhailenko carried the weight of playing No. 1 singles. This year Weise not only took the baton as the team’s No. 1 player, but is the No. 1 returner in the state.

She has carried the weight of that responsibility well.

“It is different from last year. She’s gained experience but also talent,” Homestead coach Jackie Egelhoff said. “I feel like her tennis game has gone to a higher level. She’s hitting and attacking the ball much more and confidence comes with that continual play.”

Those strides have allowed Weise go from a 35-3 record last season playing No. 2 singles more often than not to 32-0 this year with just one match going three sets. Eight of those victories came against players who are seeded in Division 1 or 2 at state.

It has been quite the jump for a player with whom Egelhoff has been familiar for some time.

Weise’s mother, Cynthia Massart, graduated from Homestead in 1989 and was a three-year varsity player for Egelhoff. The coach and former player would chat when they’d cross paths at different tournaments, and as the years passed Weise’s status on the junior circuit grew.

Her older sister, Lauren, was a four-time state qualifier at Cedarburg in doubles, reaching the quarterfinals her final three seasons and placing sixth as a sophomore and junior.

Weise’s path took her south to Homestead after her family moved back to Mequon before her freshman year.

At school she joined what is proving to be a talented 2020 class. At individual state, the team also qualified sophomore Natalie Yang in singles. The No. 2 doubles team of sophomores Sasha Shapsis and Bridget Brown are the No. 14 seed. The class makes up a good portion of a team that has been ranked No. 1 all season.

At home Weise has enjoyed being a second-generation Highlander.

“She told me that Jackie works you hard and she does and she’ll support you,” Weise said. “She’s a good coach because she gets you the help you need and she goes above and beyond what most coaches do.”

Weise puts in plenty of work on her own, be it extra workouts before or after practice, and during the high school off-season she is often traveling here or there for a tournament.

It has come together nicely this season.

A growth spurt that has her standing close to 5-foot-10 has allowed her to increase the power of her game and the aggressiveness of her play. Her serve as improved, too.

How much will those improvements pay off? Well find out by the end of the week when Weise tries to extend Homestead’s nine-year streak with a player reaching at least the state semifinals.

“She’s takes her game seriously and is always trying to improve,” Egelhoff said. “The weekend will obviously be more pressure than (it was) as a freshman coming in behind a good player. Being the No. 1 is a challenge for anyone who’s in that position. That part we’ll be working on as well, just keeping everything under control.”