They weren’t kidding when they said they played rain or shine.
Tuesday, Sept. 29 saw several changes in weather over the course of just a few hours. The sky quickly transformed from a bright blue to a dark, misty gray, but that didn’t stop the girls varsity tennis team from fighting for every last point against Homestead High School. Across seven courts, rackets were furiously swinging in a back and forth battle.
While some girls were on the courts playing, those who weren’t assigned for this specific game observed carefully and cheered on their fellow teammates during and between sets.
“The last court just won the first set, so it’s looking pretty good,” senior Lori Chang said as she watched the singles sets across the caged fences. “Some courts are currently putting up a good fight right now.”
Senior Anna Kang, who was observing alongside Chang, had similar hopes mixed with a little added skepticism.
“We started off pretty well today, but as we’ve been playing more it’s evened out to a 50/50,” Kang said. “I think the doubles will be able to pull through.”
“One thing I’m scared of is that [coach] Bruce Becker has been telling us that Homestead has been undefeated in the league,” Davuluru said, “and technically so have we, so that puts us in a lot of pressure.”
Senior Shaili Davuluru and her doubles partner confirmed Kang’s predictions through their win at the game. With a major leap forward from last week’s close win with Saratoga High School, their team dynamic significantly improved and the two players were able to solidify an easy win.
“I think we’re a good pairing– we come to the net a lot which is really important in doubles, and that’s what [coach] Bruce tries to enforce,” Davuluru said. “I think we were able to successfully practice and carry that out today.”
Alongside the general stress of being in a game, the thought of Homestead being undefeated so far put extra pressure on the team to perform well.
“I think we have a strong season ahead of us,” Chang said. “However this game turns out, we have more to come and we’re ready.”
“One thing I’m scared of is that [coach] Bruce Becker has been telling us that Homestead has been undefeated in the league,” said Davuluru, “and technically so have we, so that puts us in a lot of pressure.”
Sophomore Carol Lei reminisced on this pressure after a close match that ended in a loss.
“I wasn’t that focused. There was just a lot of other things going on, and their standing in the league is intimidating,” Lei said. “I got distracted.”
After several tough matches, the team ended up losing 3-4, but did not let their spirits dampen.
“I think we have a strong season ahead of us,” Chang said. “However this game turns out, we have more to come and we’re ready.”
