The girls’ tennis team began their season victoriously this year, with a district record of 12-0 and increased experience from their last season.
The team did not graduate any seniors last year, and the “meat,” or middle, of their line-up has stayed strong, according to coach Rich Lindsay.
Lindsay, who has coached the team for 13 years, said that the team has “a lot of interchangeable parts, so if one girl can’t play or can’t go, I have no apprehension of putting another girl in.”
He added that “the sedes are pretty much the same, except for two freshmen playing at [sedes] five and six. I feel that everybody is more confident in their game; the experience has really helped.”
The sheer amount of time spent playing has paid off, according to senior Caroline Chisholm. “Our mental and physical games have improved a lot since last season, from playing so much during that time and hitting in the offseason to keep getting better,” she said. “We are winning matches this year that we would have lost last year, and it’s definitely better because we know how to deal with match-like situations better.
“Our best win was against Colonial Forge,” Chisholm said. “They beat us pretty convincingly twice last year, then lost to us 4-5 in District Semifinals, so we had a lot to prove to them and to the other teams.
“Last year was a building year, but coming out of our first District match with a 7-2 victory gave us the confidence we needed to keep playing well,” she said.
The team has stayed successful throughout the season despite lack of practice time. “One of the most challenging aspects of playing tennis is the amount of matches we have in such a short span of time,” sophomore Madeline Bruggeman said. “Especially this year with all of the snow days, we have only had a few practices, which makes things difficult.”
She added that “we don’t have enough time to work on things that we are having trouble with before we have another match. This means that Coach has to be able to explain to us quickly and effectively what we need to work on and then pick specific drills that really focus on our biggest struggles during the few practices that we have.”
According to Lindsay, the team has had “more matches than outdoor practices” this year.
Another challenging part of tennis “is the mental aspect,” Chisholm said. “It’s hard to keep yourself positive and motivated when you’re not playing well, and no one else can change the outcome of a match except for you. There are no substitutions, so you have to make every point count and constantly be giving yourself encouragement.”
Earlier in the season, “we lost [a pre-season scrimmage] to Western 1-8, and while it’s not a District match, everyone still wants to beat our in-town rivals,” Chisholm said. “They have some very talented players and it’s hard losing to them, especially since we know we could have played better and possibly had a better outcome.”
According to senior Callie Murray, “The Western scrimmage…is always something we keep our eye on during the pre-season. They are an extremely talented team and give us some good competition.”
Despite this loss, the team’s current undefeated District record favors their goal to “win Districts and potentially get a crack at post-season, but that’s a big step,” Lindsay said.
Other goals the team has focused this season on include “high energy levels, footwork, and playing smart tennis (with strategy),” Bruggeman said. “Obviously we want to do as well as we can this season, but more of our goals are based on playing as well as we are able to, as a team.”
Murray feels that this year the team has “definitely improved in terms of focusing out on the court when we need to and playing smart tennis.”
The team also aims for spirit, according to Bruggeman. “Everyone participates in the dress-up and gift giving spirits on match days,” she said. “Plus, we try to be really supportive of our team members on and off the court by cheering for everyone when they are playing a match.”
Sophomore Gaby Balcells said that “the best part about playing tennis is the support and love of our team. This year we’ve really grown as a team and rely on each other for support on and off the courts.”
