
This year, BISV leveled up its sports by debuting its first-ever tennis team. Founded by Michelle G. (G12) and Vivian C. (G11), the team has practiced consistently and battled through many matches this season. Get ready to meet our players and see how they fared in the first half of their season so far!
Players
Michelle G. (G12)
Favorite Stroke: Backhand
“I’m excited to be on a team and hype each other up!”
Vivian C. (G11)
Favorite Stroke: Forehand
“I hope to make fun memories from this team!”
Annie L. (G9)
Favorite Shot: Forehand
“I hope to improve my skills for playing doubles and experience the teamwork spirit when playing with other schools!”
Shivani T. (G9)
Favorite Shot: Volleys
“I hope to gain mental toughness/fortitude through this team experience!”
Shuying S. (G11)
Favorite Shot: Forehand
“I hope to gain team competition experience!”
Sophia Z. (G12)
Favorite Shot: Volleys
“I hope to get better at tennis through this team experience!”
Stella W. (G9)
Favorite Shot: Forehand
“I hope to learn how to play tennis matches and practice tennis as a team!”
Michelle W. (G9)
Favorite Shot: Forehand
“I hope to learn how to play matches and rally with people through this team!”
Matches
Match 1 against Willow Glen High School
On August 23rd, BISV’s tennis team played its very first match at Willow Glen High School. As it was the team’s first match, nerves and excitement flowed simultaneously through the team. Many players had never played an official match before, making this experience all the more exciting. Through this match, the team hoped to gain match experience, improve, and win (obviously). Despite the nerves, the team’s hard work and dedication paid off. Many returning players from last year’s club improved significantly with the help of the coaches, which was seen through increased endurance, consistency, and speed. That day, the brutal weather reached 84 degrees and had only warm wind to cool down. Even under those harsh conditions, all players persevered, with everyone playing at least one match, some even two.
Each player either played a doubles or singles match, both of which have a six-game set style. In tennis, a six-game set means the first player (or team if it’s doubles) to win six games with at least a two-game lead takes the set, with a tiebreak played at 6–6. The players that came to the game that day were Shuying S., Annie D., Sophia Z., Michelle G., Stella X., and Vivian C. Many players played two rounds since Willow Glen had far more players than our team. In total, the team played 9 sets split between two rounds. With each round taking around an hour, players worked extremely hard in the blazing sun.
Although the main goal of this match wasn’t to win, our team still came through with a total of 7 wins and 2 losses. All players tried their best, but one player stood out by boosting morale through their exceptional matches. That player was Shuying S. During the first round, the team was initially down 2-1. However, after Shuying’s close match and eventual win, the teams were tied, and we proceeded to win 5 matches in a row.
Beyond the scoreboard, the team also gained invaluable knowledge. Players who had never played official matches before reinforced their knowledge of the game’s scoring and rules. The team as a whole learned that, despite being new to team tennis, they are good enough to compete with others. By playing together, the team got to know each other a little better, which improved the team’s bond, preparing them to fight harder together in later matches.
Match 2 against Branham High School
The BISV tennis team played its second match against Branham High School. The Branham High School team was preparing for the Golden State Tennis Classic doubles tournament that week, so they asked that we play three rounds of doubles.
As the Bobcats arrived on the court, they visibly felt the heat, sweating hard both during the warmup and throughout the matches. Despite that, the players battled through, with each team playing 2-3 tough matches.
The doubles pairs were as follows: Michelle G. paired with Annie L., Vivian C. paired with Shivani T., and Stella W. paired with Michelle W. After battling through three tough rounds against Branham, the score was tied at 4-4, demonstrating the competitiveness of both teams. Later, the Branham coach informed us that Branham is in the League A team (the best high school league), and that they always advance into CCS Playoffs, one of the main high school team tennis tournaments. Therefore, it’s very impressive that we team managed to tie with them!
One player, Annie L., shone among the rest. She managed to win all three of her doubles matches. Her impressive volleys and baseline shots played a solid role in winning these matches, showing off her hard work and consistent practice.
It was another great day for the team. The Bobcats fought hard together, and this match only strengthened our team spirit. From chanting our team cheer to hyping each other up whenever a point was won, the Bobcat spirit was shone through. After the match, the team took a group photo and pledged to continue the hard work.
Match 3 against Stratford Preparatory High School
On another hot and sunny day, the Bobcats were set to face off against Stratford Prep. The players arrived at 3:30 pm to warm up for their match at 4 pm.
Since Stratford Prep had three courts available for play, the matches were structured as follows: Round 1 had two singles and three doubles, and Round 2 had 2 singles and 2 doubles. Meanwhile, the players who were not on court actively playing were scheduled to play exhibition matches (practice matches) with the other team, so everyone was constantly playing hard.
Stratford Prep proved to be a formidable opponent, but the Bobcats were able to barely edge them out 4-3. The player of that match had to be Shivani T., who crucially clutched the victory for the Bobcats with her close singles match. Shivani fought hard in her singles match, ultimately beating her opponent 6-4 in a set.
Despite the competitive environment, the Stratford and BISV teams got along quite nicely and shared some snacks and drinks after the match. While munching on chocolate chip cookies and drinking Capri Suns, the two teams bonded over the fun and joy of being on a high school team. Although winning feels nice, both teams agreed that the fun memories made around this team experience were the most precious.
Match 4 vs King’s Academy
Although the 6-2 score might not have seemed as impressive as the matches against Willow Glen, our team’s performance against Kings Academy High School was the most dominant one yet. The team’s improvement in both singles and doubles was evident in this match. Players were hitting shots that they had worked on in practice, actively bringing what they’d learned to the court. The overall energy on the court was more competitive than before. From both a player and spectator perspective, the team was much more serious and cohesive.
The team played a total of 8 matches, with four singles and four doubles. Since we only had six players that day, all players had to play two matches. In the first round, Michelle G., Vivian C., Annie L., and Shivani T. played singles while Stella X. and Shuying S. played doubles. In the second round, all six players played doubles, with teams being Annie L. and Michelle G., Shuying S. and Vivian C., and Stella X. and Shivani. In total, the team won six matches and lost two. Compared to the match against Willow Glen, there was one fewer win. However, it was also the most dominant since the team bagelled (8-0) Kings Academy four times.
The MVP for this match was undeniably Annie L. with her two bagels. So quickly did we win that her matches in total only added up to 1 hour. Her authoritative victories led to a boost in morale for the team while also shocking the other team. Even after the match, the Kings Academy’s coach constantly asked about the levels of our players.
Another important part of this match was the team spirit during the games. Players who finished early were cheering for their teammates even an hour after they finished. Although this may not sound impressive compared to other sports, this isn’t very common in tennis. In fact, it’s so uncommon that while the entirety of our team was still on court cheering, the other team only had two girls who were playing matches, while the rest of their teammates had already gone home. In that sense, BISV’s tennis team also dominated in terms of team spirit and collaboration.