As the weather heats up, the Lady Woodmen tennis team is doing the same.

The team’s first game is on April 17 at home against Roncalli high school. The team lost this match last year but hopes to win this season. 

“This season, we’re already conditioning more than last year, which will make a huge difference in our performance,” sophomore Mia Shaffer said. 

The team has been ramping up the intensity at practice, hoping to prepare themselves for a winning season.

“Recently in practice, we’ve been working on many of the foundational skills, such as ground strokes, volleys, overheads, and serving. It helps us get back into the routine, so we can hit the ground running once the season begins,” Shaffer said. 

Individually, each player is putting in extra effort to ensure their best performance.

“Personally, I have been working on a faster serve. Last year, which was my first year, I quickly found out that my serve was consistent but not as fast as it could be,” senior Natalia Orozco said. 

Many less-experienced players, such as freshmen and players new to the sport, are on the team.

“We have a young team, and many are inexperienced, but with lots of hard work and the right mindset, we will be able to compete with the older teams,” Shaffer said. 

Lack of physical ability restricted many players from achieving a win last year, but according to Shaffer, that might not be the case this year.

“Many of us started out winning, but eventually, we ran out of gas and started getting lazy. This season, we’re already conditioning more than last year, which will make a considerable difference,” she said. 

Friendly rivalry between nearby schools motivates the players. 

“I think our biggest competitor this season will be Whiteland. There’s always been a rivalry between our schools, especially for the past couple of years playing tennis against them,” Shaffer said. 

As the team works through inconsistencies in their game in preseason, more challenges become clear

“All opponents are different with their match approaches, and it sometimes causes us to doubt our placement on the court,” Orozco said. 

Despite the foreseeable challenges, the team remains optimistic.

“I am hoping we do not run into many challenges, but we may run into problems with scheduling if weather affects our matches outside,” Orozco said