Beads of sweat trickle down each player’s neck as the Girls Varsity Tennis team pushes through their grueling match against Arcadia in the blazing heat. The opposing team proves to be a tough competitor, but the Lady Rams continue to fight despite the odds.
The team ended the preseason with an overall record of 6-3. The players fought hard and earned many wins, but suffered tough losses to Pasadena Polytechnic, South Hills and Arcadia.
“I honestly did not expect us to be that good this year since we have new players, but I have a feeling that we’ll be fine,” Senior Megan Lee said. “Just by seeing the way we play, I know that we have a lot of great skill.”
The team has had their own share of setbacks since only two members out of a total of 12 have had prior experience playing on Varsity.
Stepping up to match the advanced level of the team proved a challenge for new members. The more advanced atmosphere forced them to break old habits and play instinctively.
“I realized that I need to apply what I know to how I play,” Junior Sandra Ngo said. “There’s a constant demand to shift and improve my game. Some things should just be second nature now.”
Playing on the team has provided a clear and refreshing snap to reality for many of the new players who stepped up from JV. They have had to learn different techniques and strategies in a short period of time in order to keep up with other Varsity teams.
“It’s not necessarily about the statistics and the records,” Ngo said. “We play not just for the sake of winning, but to get better as well.”
For new student Freshman Katherine Wu, the transition to a new school district has had its difficulties. Adjusting to her new surroundings and learning how to adapt to playing on a high school team has been far from easy.
“At first, everything was so chaotic. The only thing I looked forward to was tennis,” Wu said. “But I learned that if you want to get better, you have to be pushed past your limit.”
Despite the gap each team member needs to bridge, there is promise to fill one of the three spots in the C.I.F. playoffs.
“We have already improved strategically since the beginning of the season and our execution of more difficult skills will continue to improve,” Head Coach Nate Slaymaker said. “Rio Hondo League is one of the toughest high school tennis leagues in Southern California, but I expect that we will compete for a playoff spot again this year.”