Which team placed second in NorCal and first in CCS last year? That’s right, the MVHS varsity girls tennis team did! How this year will turn out however, especially with the loss of five players from the team, is uncertain.
The MVHS girls varsity tennis team has been known for its excellence, having earned second place in NorCal and first in CCS. With the graduation of four players and the departure of a fifth, the 2008 season may bring many challenges to the team.
“I think this year we still have a very strong team,” senior varsity player Iliana Nguyen said “we have a lot of returning members, so we’re still up there.”
“I think this year we still have a very strong team,” senior varsity player Iliana Nguyen said “we have a lot of returning members, so we’re still up there.”
During the previous season, the varsity team held two practices, as most of the players trained with their private coaches. During the first practice, members were introduced to each other and spent time getting to know one another. In the second practice, which was held near the middle of the season, the players sharpened their consistency in rallying, a racket-sport term which is used to describe two players hitting a ball back and forth.
Even though the varsity team has relatively independent players, the players’ abilities to work together and prevail over challengers on the court are clearly shown by the success of the 2007 season.
“We really cared about the winning," sophomore varsity player Sylvia Li said. "If you lost, your teammates would be totally fine with it, but everyone pushed themselves to do their best, and then you would be motivated to do your best too.”
For any sports team, the absence of any one player is a heavy blow to sustain, let alone the absence of five. As the 2008 fall season began, the varsity girls tennis team still continued to strive towards being a winning and confident one. Throughout the previous season, the girls rarely lost. And even during the times they did lose, they often viewed failure as a chance to improve their game.
"I guess, you know, that it's not like a bad thing to lose sometimes, because if you keep winning, it doesn't help you," Li said. "I mean, if you lose sometimes, you can still learn from the losses."
This determination for success and self-improvement is what makes the MVHS girls tennis team the strong team it was, and the strong team it will be in the 2008 season.
“We really cared about the winning," sophomore varsity player Sylvia Li said. "If you lost, your teammates would be totally fine with it, but everyone pushed themselves to do their best, and then you would be motivated to do your best too.”
For any sports team, the absence of any one player is a heavy blow to sustain, let alone the absence of five. As the 2008 fall season began, the varsity girls tennis team still continued to strive towards being a winning and confident one. Throughout the previous season, the girls rarely lost. And even during the times they did lose, they often viewed failure as a chance to improve their game.
"I guess, you know, that it's not like a bad thing to lose sometimes, because if you keep winning, it doesn't help you," Li said. "I mean, if you lose sometimes, you can still learn from the losses."
This determination for success and self-improvement is what makes the MVHS girls tennis team the strong team it was, and the strong team it will be in the 2008 season.
