On Wednesday, Oct. 18, girls varsity tennis played their last regular season match against longtime rival, The Branson School. The girls ultimately won 5-2, showcasing hardcore volleys and strong backhands throughout the matches. The doubles pair, junior Livia Klompus and senior Lindsay Reed, reflected together on their hard-fought game.
“We were pretty steady the whole match, but towards the end there was some trouble. We had to win one more set and we let them win three more sets before we closed it out,” Reed said.
Klompus shares a similar sentiment.
“We had a lot of really good points, but [there were] definitely a lot of mistakes that could have been avoided. I think we were both not as consistent as we usually are,” Klompus said.
Reed and Klompus were up against the top-ranked doubles pair from Branson. After going hand in hand with powerful serves and aces, the Branson pair won the first set by 6-2 and the second by 6-4.
Freshman Julia Povio played a fiery singles match. Lasting on the court for two hours, she stayed strong during a first-set tiebreak and two other sets. But, in the end, she was defeated by a Branson player. First-year head coach Tracy Porter reflects on Povio’s match.
“They are evenly matched. Some days you’re on and some days you’re off, but [Povio’s] playing really well. This is a good tight match. They went to a tie break, now they’re fighting it out,” said Porter.
Next week is the start of the Marin County Athletic League (MCAL) playoffs, and Redwood hopes to use this momentum to continue the season.
Klompus and Reed hope to work harder on communication and team energy.
“Especially with doubles, communication and lifting each other up is really important. At the end, when it’s hot and we’re tired, really keeping the energy up is [crucial],” said Reed.
Porter congratulated her team on how they played against Branson. However, going into MCALs, Porter thinks that the girls need to dial in.
“I have a couple of guys help me out and drill the girls at the net. [We have] got to keep focusing on being aggressive during the whole match,” Porter said.
