With a steady start to the season at a record of 5-2, the girls tennis team is looking to have a strong season filled with growth and bonding.
The team has had some impressive wins so far, and kicked off their season with an impressive 4-3 victory over Pomfret School on April 6. They went on to have dominant 6-1 and 7-2 wins over Hamden Hall Country Day School and Worcester Academy respectively. However, their winning streak came to a halt on April 13, when the team experienced a disappointing 5-4 loss against Kent School, and another narrow 5-4 loss to Choate Rosemary Hall. “These losses could have gone either way.” Head Coach Ron Garcia said. “We’re a young team and those close losses against good teams taught us a lot about mental toughness.”
This season has been marked by growth, adjustment, and collaboration. Led by Coach Garcia and senior Captain Loretta Szych, the team is rebuilding this year after losing a number of skilled seniors last year that had formerly occupied top spots on the ladder. “We have a lot of new faces on the team,” Szych said, “so we’re definitely figuring out our rhythm. I feel like the chemistry that we’ve formulated so far has been effective and very supportive overall.”
With the end goal of a strong postseason performance at the Founders League Championships and at the NEPSAC Championship in mind, everybody is working on components essential to a successful match, such as finishing points quickly and bolstering mental connections between double’s players.
Szych highlighted some key players on the team, including freshman Noor Sayej, who is at the top of the rankings playing both number 2 and number 1 singles and is currently undefeated, already making a big impact. She also commended sophomore Alex Doering. “She’s always a team player,” Szych said. Doering has been on the team since middle school, and has consistently put her best foot forward to win crucial matches. Coach Garcia also commended Szych, noting her strong leadership skills.
One of the biggest aspects of this season is team bonding. With the relatively new roster, the team has put an emphasis on bonding activities. Captain Szych described one key major moment when everybody got frozen yogurt after a match. “Everyone was really just acting like just friends and getting along really well,” she said, “and we always support whoever’s on the court. So I’m really looking forward to building that team connection.”
The team has certainly managed to build connections and find success. On April 15, they achieved a 7-0 win over Wilbraham & Monson Academy, where Szych had a strong win playing number one singles.
The team further exemplified their strength after clinching an amazing 5-2 victory against Rye Country Day School, a fierce competitor. Coach Garcia highlighted both Doering and freshman Taylor Benavides’s performances at this match. “We beat Rye Country Day School in part because of those lessons we learned from those two losses.” Coach Garcia said.
Coming up, the team is having some exciting matches against Ethel Walker School on April 25 and Greenwich Country Day School on April 27. Although the team is still finding their footing with a new group of young and fresh faces, the season is off to a strong start, and we can’t wait to see what the girls varsity tennis team will achieve next!
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