Girls tennis finishes season on a high note

On Nov. 3, the girls tennis team ended a successful season after losing their CIF playoff game, with an overall record of 6-5-0. This loss was overshadowed by the fact that they went further into the CIF tournament then they were able to last year. Despite the fact that they lost in the CIF playoffs, coach Wilson Poon believes that overall their season was a success and helped them grow as players and teammates, and will make the next season they play even greater.“Their finish was a disappointing loss for all of us, but they really did play well that entire game. The other team simply outclassed us,” Poon said. “But our season was a success, as evidence by us getting all the way to the CIF playoffs. They grew as a team and as individual players and I’m proud of what they’ve accomplished.”Mina Rivera (’18) was disappointed with how she performed at their last game, but she felt proud of what she and her team had done and how they played.“I did not perform as I expected,” Rivera said. “I really wanted to play my heart [out], but I didn't feel like it was there after we started losing our matches. We were really just getting more tired because of our lack of players, and I have to admit that they were better players than us. But despite this, I think we played well and as hard as we could despite feeling discouraged.”Ana Krstic (’19) and Haley Bavarian (’19) both agree and say that they and the team are incredibly proud of getting to where they did but are disappointed that they didn't push further.“It’s unfortunate that our team lost first round, but I think we are all psyched for next years season because of all the returning varsity players,” Krstic said.“I’m really proud we made it to CIF,” Bavarian said. “I think we were all bummed out because we didn't make it that far but overall we had a great season.”Many players felt that because of their coaches more focused training regiment that their skills drastically improved over the course of the season and was key to their success.“I feel that my team did a amazing job and it really showed that we can move on even when one of our star players are injured,” Krstic said. “In the beginning, I played well in terms of skill, but now I believe I’ve gotten much better because I’ve learned to notice my opponent's weaknesses and how to exploit them.”Bavarian shares the same sentiment and feels that she too improved a lot over the year.“At first I wasn't confident with my serve and overtime I practiced more and it became one of the best at serving, its one of the proudest accomplishments,” Bavarian said.During their off season, the girls plan to practice both at home and on the court to prepare for what they hope to be their team's best year yet.“We did amazing this year. I couldn't have asked for more. We worked well and have a lot of fun together,” Rivera said. “CIF could have gone better but we went far and we did well, I’m super proud of the team. We all had our own goals and worked hard to achieve them. Next year, we’re going to be even better and get even further.”