Varsity Boys Tennis fell 5-2 to Homestead High School on Wednesday, April 29, in their last game of the regular season. Head Coach Gabriel Pimentel acknowledges the loss to a lack of a full lineup and lingering fatigue from the past few matches against Saratoga and Cupertino High School.
“We had a long week, so I could see that our players were a little tired,” Pimentel said. “It wasn’t the perfect game, because we didn’t get the win, but overall, the team that showed up presented themselves well on the court, put in some good effort, and we won two good matches against them.”
Having played two close three-setters in his previous matches, senior and singles player Pranay Subramanian faced physical strain in his last match of the season from overexertion. Although he pushed through until the end, the match resulted in a 6-4, 6-2 loss. Additionally, with several players unable to come to the game due to injuries and other commitments, the Matadors were forced to forfeit one of their matches. Despite the extra pressure on him to perform, Subramanian found ways to motivate and encourage himself throughout his match.
“I’d tell myself, ‘If I mess up this point, I’ll get it back next time,’” Subramanian said. “Moving on from any mistakes and pumping myself up was very important. I had a couple of my friends here, and asking them to cheer a little louder when I won points helped me get energized.”
Like Subramanian, Pimentel also believes in the importance of having a positive mindset on court. Throughout the game, he provided both technical reminders and mental advice to players.
“Today was about keeping them in a good spirit to give it their all,” Pimentel said. “Some of the players tend to spiral downward too fast, so I have to keep them positive. I don’t ask them for wins or results. I ask for the things they can control.”
Subramanian, who played one of his last matches for MVHS at this game as a senior, recalls playing doubles with his older brother as a freshman. As his own time playing for the Matadors comes to an end, he reflects on his friendships and experiences of the past few years.
“This was a great season, and I really enjoyed the time on the team,” Subramanian said. “The camaraderie on this team is unlike anything else I’ve experienced. Although it’s been nearly four years, it feels a lot shorter, so I’m feeling pretty nostalgic.”
Although Pimentel had higher expectations for the team at the start of the season, he is still proud of how the team has improved. The last game of the regular season may have ended in a loss, but he recognizes the effort the players continue to put in.
“We’ve had players who showed up and had very good matches,” Pimentel said. “They were always on time in practice and did all the little things that I care about, so I can definitely see that they’ve improved throughout the season.”
During his time on the team, Subramanian notes that his mentality and resilience have improved, particularly when it comes to being more committed to tennis. However, he’s most proud of his contribution to the tennis program as a whole.
“Everybody’s so academically focused at this school that we often put sports on the back burner,” Subramanian said. “We’ve come together as a team and pushed each other to find a balance. What we’ve built over the last four years is going to contribute to MVHS continuing to play good tennis.”
