A tennis racquet and some determination have powered a 17-year-old NorKam Secondary student to an NCAA Division 1 scholarship.

Paige Grice of Kamloops has accepted a scholarship to Western Illinois University. She trains out of the Kamloops Tennis Centre with coach Kelly Hubbard after picking up the game at the age of seven.

“He’s a great coach and we are so fortunate to have him Kamloops. He’s probably one of the top coaches in Canada and he’s right here in our small city,” a bubbling Grice told NL Sports.

The young tennis prodigy looks up to Canadian star Bianca Andreescu and other elite players like Roger Federer. She wants to make the most out of the scholarship opportunity.

“It’s going to be really hard but also really rewarding. I want to improve myself as an athlete, a student and a person and make lots of really good connections and relationships when I’m down there,” Grice said.

While at Western Illinois University, she plans to work towards a degree in Physics.