Even with the 7-2 loss against Tam last Thursday in the MCAL team finals, the varsity girls’ tennis team has improved from its third place finish last year to a second place finish this year in league.
The Tam girls showcased their depth, allowing only Redwood senior Kelly Klein and freshman Lise Swain to win their respective matches.
Despite the loss, senior Mary Hall said that the team left the match feeling satisfied about its performance.
“Even though we lost all the matches, the games were really tough,” Hall said. “Even though the score was 7-2 and made it look like the beat us by a landslide, there were tough matches and it could have gone either way.”
The tennis team has beaten every other opponent in MCAL except for Tam, now with a league record of 13-1 and an overall record of 17-5.
The girls have fought through many close match-ups, including a match against Branson where they managed to pull out a win after a ten-point tiebreaker.
Junior Keiko Kamei said that all the captains have been exceptional leaders this season. The senior leadership consists of Kelly Klein, Christina Canady, and Sydney Schonefeld.
She added that co-captain Kelly Klein has especially helped guide the younger players and organize team bonding events.
“The seniors have shown really great leadership getting the team together,” Kamei said. “The best part about our team is our support and cooperation. ”
The team has both talented veterans, such as fourth-ranked senior Kelly Klein, as well as bright newcomers including number second-ranked freshman Lise Swain. The highest ranked player on the team is an underclassmen as well—sophomore Lauren Wolfe.
Girls’ tennis competed in MCAL individuals this past week, but some results were unavailable as of press time. In individuals, the players compete separately from their respective schools, and their results do not affect their fellow teammates.
On Wednesday, Kamei and Swain matched up against a Tam duo for the MCAL individuals doubles championship.
The team expects to rejoin as a full squad for the North Coast Sectional tournament after individuals conclude. The team plays in Division I and has its first game of the tournament on Nov. 12. If they win they will play again on Nov 14. The seeding for the tournament will be released on Nov. 10.
Player seedings and updated brackets are available online at cifncs.org/sports/tennis.
