Girls varsity tennis has made a comeback this fall season, achieving three wins against Hazelwood West 8-1, Mehlville 8-1 and Affton 7-2. After losing all of their matches in the previous two seasons, the team worked hard to connect and improve, leading to more wins than they’ve had in years.
Head coach Kevi Harwood has helped the team improve and prepare for their matches. Harwood said the team has gotten a lot better throughout the season and has been able to compete well with other teams.
“I think everybody’s improving 100 percent actually. It might be a team that doesn’t have any stars and studs, but watching everybody from the beginning, 90 percent of this team has never played tennis before, but everybody’s out there and at least getting games, and they’re winning some matches,” Harwood said.
Sophomore Alyssa Bosek is playing her second season on the varsity team. Bosek said her teammates have done well with always working hard and staying positive when they are down.
“Everybody’s really dedicated and everybody tries their hardest. Nobody gives up if they’re losing, which I think is good,” Bosek said.
Junior Isabel Duan was paired with Bosek to play doubles this year. Duan said that they have developed chemistry on and off the court which helps them work together and do well during matches.
“We’re all a lot closer with our partners so the communication [on the court] is better,” Duan said.
After suffering an injury at the beginning of the season, junior Amelia Kuthe hasn’t been able to play. With varsity players gone, new players have been pulled up to varsity, and Kuthe said they’ve exceeded her expectations.
“We’re definitely doing better than I thought having to bring people up,” Kuthe said.
Although the tennis team has come a long way from previous seasons, Harwood said they can still continue to develop by playing tennis during the off-season.
“If players start playing year round, [the team] will definitely improve,” Harwood said.