On Sept. 11 at Monta Vista High School, the girls tennis team beat Homestead High School 6-1 and proved that they are still as strong as they have been in previous years.

Before their first game, the Girls Tennis team was unsure of what would happen this season and were not expecting to be as successful as they were last year. However, after winning their first two games against Saint Francis High School and Homestead High School respectively, the MVHS team has once again proven that they are not to be taken lightly. Emerging confident, the team showed that they are still the team they were last year, despite the graduation of many key players.

“Most of the matches got off to a strong start and we were all competing really hard,” captain senior Aishwarya Sankar said. “Starting off the season well is important because it makes us feel more ready.”

MVHS beat Homestead High School 6-1, in a game consisting of three doubles matches and four singles matches. All the matches were won in straight sets, including doubles, a drastic change from last season, in which doubles was the team’s major weakness. Having just moved up a league this year, Homestead High School was clearly the weaker team, but was not easily intimidated by MVHS stellar record over the past few years and managed to put up a tough fight.

The only MVHS loss occurred in the match between captain senior Nicole Stomakhin and one of Homestead’s top singles players. Although she put up a good fight, holding long rallies and going to deuce several times, Stomakhin lost in straight sets. However, even while losing, she did not forget about her responsibilities as a captain and made sure to stay strong and congratulate her teammates on a shot well hit or a match well played.

“Since the season started, we’ve definitely become stronger as a team now that we’ve had a chance to get to know the team and the lineup,” junior Uma Kirloskar said. “We’re off to a great start.”

Kirloskar, who has played varsity tennis since her sophomore year, won her doubles match with her partner, sophomore Rashmi Ghonasgi, in straight sets, 6-1 and 6-2. Cool and confident, she walked off the court as if she had been expecting to win all along. In fact, not just Kirloskar seemed to posses this attitude. Practically the entire team walked on the court ready to win, and walked off happy with their result, but still looking forward to a chance to further improve in the next game. Looking ahead, the girls hope to fix problems they encountered in this match as well as capitalize upon unfinished strategies from last year.

“We’re playing better and we hope that continues as the season progresses,” coach Gene Fortino said.

The Matadors’ next home game is Tuesday, Sept. 16 at 3:30 p.m. against Gunn High School.