For the first time, the girls’ tennis team has many freshman and more depth. With these young players, the team hopes to combine hard work and rigor with a positive team spirit in order to improve on last season’s performance.
“We got more young players right now which is pretty solid, so this year will be a little challenging,” varsity coach Jane Demerath said. “But hopefully next year they’re going to get better and play smarter.”
Senior captain Kaylee Holleman also has a positive outlook on the incoming freshman.
“We are all very excited for the new season,” Holleman said. “The freshman came up to play with us this year and they are all great so it should be an excellent season.”
Freshman Evelyn Yang and Shreya Senthil, both from Northshore Junor High, have already set themselves apart as excellent players.
“It doesn’t matter how old you are, it just matters how long you have been playing. If you play every single day, you can be 10 years old and still be amazing,” junior Jenny Albert said.
The team is also focused on being physically prepared.
“This year, we are definitely doing a lot more footwork and a lot more conditioning so that we can get fit and ready for the season,” senior captain Teanen Chen said.
Demerath believes that a large part of this season will be figuring out how to improve their tactics and strategy in order to win each point efficiently.
“I’m a very competitive coach, so I’m expecting a lot from the girls and I don’t really mind them losing their matches, but I want them fighting for every single point,” Demerath said.
Another goal for the season is to qualify for districts.
The two captains, Chen and Holleman, make up the first doubles team and they aspire to be successful at districts.
“She is one of my closest friends, so we work really well together on and off the court,” Holleman said.
Demerath also thinks the character of her players will play an important role this season.
“I want to see fiestiness and aggressiveness,” Demerath said.
Despite the team’s competitive nature and their drive to win, they hope above all to have an enjoyable season.
“I’d like everyone to try their best and have fun trying their best,” Chen said.
