With an overall record of 7-5 and a league record of 3-4, girls Varsity tennis is looking to finish the season with good form. Possessing solid strength across grade levels, the team’s well-roundedness will help them to end the season with a slam. Prioritizing chemistry has been key to the Panthers’ success against difficult opponents.
“I think we have good team chemistry, and the freshmen on varsity are dealing with the pressure well,” said sophomore Malia Mohandesi. “They are strong players who both play singles, which is very impressive.”
While chemistry contributes significantly to the team’s success, injury and lineup size have often contributed to their losses, evident in their latest match-up against Flintridge Preparatory Academy on Tuesday, Oct. 15.
“We didn’t have two of our best players because Mira Mavis [a freshman] was injured and Ava Teng [a senior] was injured,” said freshman Maggie Tsay.
“Prep has always been our closest matchup, so when our second time playing them came and two of our players were injured, we had to quickly make last minute changes,” said senior Dylan Lam, who has played on the team for four years.
“We ended up losing by a much larger margin. I think although we were disappointed, everyone was proud of each other for stepping up and fighting hard to win the games that we did that day.”
Positivity continues to run high for the Panthers. A combination of consistent commitment and grit during practices has allowed the team to improve rapidly.
“We are consistent as a team and rarely make unforced errors,” said Mohandesi. Constantly striving for improvement, the Panthers are developing into a promising squad that is devoted to their team and sport.
“Playing with the team this year has been so much fun and I’m looking forward to ending my last season strong,” commented Lam. “We’ve been able to take home really important and challenging matches but also been able to improve after some disappointing games. Overall, I think girls tennis has stepped up since my freshman year, and we look forward to our last few games and competing in the Prep League tournament.” The tournament marks the final games of the season that a few members of the team will go on to participate in.