Varsity Girls Tennis defeated Los Gatos High School 6-1 on Tuesday, Oct. 29. With the match being the last home game of the season, the tennis team celebrated its seniors by decorating the courts with purple and gold streamers and balloons, as well as gifting them personalized baskets and posters.
Senior and doubles player Varsha Iyengar says due to it being Senior Night, the team was more energetic than usual, which increased confidence among the players. She attributes her win to the volleys she made during the match and her coordination with her doubles partner. However, she believes more work is needed to keep their plays consistent.
“We won a lot of the earlier games, but I think sometimes we get a little too comfortable, and we don’t put in as much effort,” Iyengar said. “But I think we need to continue that effort, throughout the whole match.”
Sophomore and doubles player Eva Tian says her individual game was not the best, especially as her hitting was inconsistent. However, when observing her teammates’ matches, she believes the team as a whole did well. Winning with a tiebreaker score of 10-7, Tian emphasizes that she and her partner came into the game with a positive mindset and continued to uplift each other regardless of how the scores were looking.
“My partner and I are strong, but we went on knowing our opponents were strong too,” Tian said. “We’re telling ourselves we would not loosen up, even if we won the first set, and we kept that mindset. From there, we kept on and stayed locked in.”
Reflecting on the season with the team, Tian felt grateful for the support she had from her teammates, especially the senior players. She says the small interactions between her and the team allowed her to play her best and improve.
“All of them are really fun to talk to, so there are a lot of memorable moments I’ve had with them,” Tian said. “It’s really a lot of the small things, like the way I had conversations with them. It’s just the overall friendship and relationship between the seniors, me and the team. The team is a community and it really feels like it.”
Iyengar shares a similar sentiment to Tian but adds how she had mixed emotions due to it being her final home game at MVHS. Since she played tennis throughout all four years of high school, Iyengar says the game was a bittersweet experience.
“I was excited to play since it was our last home match, but it was sad because this means the season is almost over,” Iyengar said. “Overall, I’m more happy than sad due to us winning the match and for my experiences on the team.”
