By Noah Miyamae
Staff Writer
Photos by Brian Kojima
The varsity girls’ tennis team was caught in a deadlock with the Moors at Alhambra on Monday, September 21, tying by a score of 9-9. This was the team’s closest game to date, as the Tigers had been dominant throughout preseason play.
The score did not accurately convey some of the athlete’s noteworthy performances. The young doubles team of freshman Rachel Park and freshman Shannon Huang won all of their games in a dominant fashion. Park, who played alongside junior Jessica Chang in previous matches, has consistently supplied the Tigers with points toward the team’s collective score. This was the first doubles match for the two, but they played as if they had been partners for all of the preseason, ending rallies with well-placed, powerful returns.
Chang and sophomore Amanda Chen took two games out of three by a score of 6-1 in both victories. This was also a new doubles team, but they were still able to compete at a high level. The duo immediately displayed excellence by thwarting the opposition’s attempts for hard shot’s with crisp hits that would often grazed the back end of the court. Sophomore team captain Molly Round was able to claim two more games, utilizing well-placed ground strokes to out duel her opponents. Round continues to balance power, accuracy, and agility in every match, displaying why she is able to lead the team at the same time.
“Today’s game was really close but we were not performing to our fullest potential,” Junior Phoebe Moffet said, “I hope that we will be able to regroup before tomorrow’s game and season.”
Despite this small bump in the road, the team still holds an impressive 6-0-1 record. Look for the Tigers to bounce back on Tuesday, September 22 with a victory at Schurr in their final preseason match.
