The girls tennis team is tight-knit, and they are looking forward to more wins this season. 

“Our team goal is to get more wins than we did last year. We did okay last year, but this year we want to get better. We also want to become more unified as a team. We are all already pretty close, so that will not be hard,” junior Joelle Young said. 

Although the girls are good friends, it is still easy to get frustrated with one another in a sport like this. 

“I want to play like a team instead of individuals, even though tennis is a single or double sport. I also want to work on having empathy for everyone and remembering that everyone is giving their all,” senior Melanie Rodriguez said. 

Young would also like not to get upset as easily with herself.

“I want to stay more positive throughout my matches. I get upset with myself easily and then it is hard to get past that,” Young said. 

The transition from middle school to high school sports can be challenging, but the upperclassmen have made it easy for the freshmen. 

“It is a bit more competitive than middle school, but that is a good thing. There are a lot more people to hang out with and have fun with. I have already made a lot of friends and the season has not even started yet,” freshman Mia Shaffer said.

Not only do the upperclassmen welcome the freshmen, but they also love to recruit those who have never played before. 

“It was the end of the school day, and someone told me I should go to tennis practice. So, that night I went home and found a random tennis racket lying around my house. I went to the next practice, and it was a lot of fun. It is just fun to try something new,” sophomore Norah Wallischeck said. 

Shaffer is ready for the season to get started. She has big goals for her first high school tennis season. 

“I would like to get my serves more aggressive this year. Serves are a main thing in tennis and can make or break a point so getting those more aggressive will help,” Shaffer said. 

The team has a positive dynamic, but there is still lots of competition within. 

“I really want to get my spot on varsity and stay there this season. We have a good team this year, so it will be competitive,” Rodriguez said. 

Lots of the girls want to work on their techniques, but overall they want to have a successful season.

“Team bonding is a big thing. I think it will be easy for us to get to because we are all close right now and winning as many games as we can,” Shaffer said. 

The girls will begin their season facing off against the Roncalli Royals at Roncalli. The match is April 1 at 5 pm.