For the past two seasons, Alysha Dhami has not played tennis for the Interlake Saints. You will have to forgive her, she’s had kind of a lot going on.

In addition to her scholastic endeavors at Bellevue’s International School, Dhami plays club tennis and is also heavily involved in health care initiative advocacy. Oh and don’t forget, she is an award winning beauty pageant competitor.

This season, with the rigors of the college application process behind her, the senior has been able to find time to rejoin the Saints for the first time since her freshman year.

She still has plenty to take care of off the court though. Not only is Dhami one of the top players for coach Matthew Perlman’s tennis team, she is undergoing a senior project that involves political advocacy and campaigning in Olympia. Dhami works with the American Cancer Society at their headquarters in Seattle writing letters to editors, organizing events and helping to advocate for three health related bills in Olympia that pertain to those who wish to maintain a smoke-free environment in public settings and is currently the advocacy chair for the Relay for Life.

The senior says she first became involved in politics, much to her own surprise, as a result of her involvement with Junior Statesmen of America. “I saw how big of a difference students can make,” Dhami said of the inspiration for becoming a member. She eventually became gubernatorial leader of the group and has since been accepted into the honors program at the University of Washington, largely on the basis of her laundry list of leadership and extra-curricular accomplishments.

On the court, the rangy Dhami plays an aggressive game, covering all corners of the court in an effort to outrun and outlast her opponents.

“She tries to devise a plan of attack and has a consistent idea of where she is hiting shots,” Perlman said. “She hits shots to set up the next shot and is just very graceful and athletic.”

Chelsea Bucklin, another senior and the captain of the team, is another of Perlman’s strongest players and has high hopes for her teammates in 2011. “I think this year is going to be a really strong year and as a team we’ve really bonded,” Bucklin said. Playing alongside Amy Yasutake, Bucklin reached the consolation semi-finals of the 2A state tournament in doubles last season, finishing just one win shy of a spot in the fourth place match. The success has her hungry for more in 2011 and she said she hopes to return to state with Yasutake this year and improve on their finish.

“Chelsea is a real competitor, she is very poised,” Perlman said adding, “We only have one captain and it’s her.” Like Dhami, Bucklin is focused away from tennis as well and has been accepted into the nursing program at Gonzaga.

Adding to the experienced duo is sensational freshman Isabelle Long and sophomore Maggie Locke, who is perhaps the most improved player on the team according to her coach.

Long, who has played tennis since childhood as a family past time, is still adjusting to the day-in day-out rigors of prep level competition. She said she had never before had a daily obligation to the game while playing club tennis but is building stamina and decreasing recovery time to make sure she is at her best on the court each day for the Saints. Perlman called Long “one of the most unexpected surprises” of the young season.

Locke, a sophomore that Pearlman calls his most improved player, recently put her toughness and ability on display in a match against Liberty.

After dropping the first set and badly rolling her ankle in the process, Locke, who was standing in the number two singles spot for the absent Dhami, came back to battle through the injury and take a hard fought match in the third and final set.

Along with Dhami, Bucklin, Locke and Long, Interlake has experience in Yasutake and hopes to have several players make district and state playoff runs for Interlake in 2011.