After an exciting first tennis season, our Bobcats have emerged undefeated in all 7 matches. The team put in a lot of effort through building skills and communicating with each other. This effort allowed for both a competitive yet comfortable atmosphere. Through the guidance of Coach Al, players learned many valuable lessons. They learned new tactics, developing their strengths, and addressing weaknesses. But more importantly, they learned how to play as a team. In this article, we will be covering the rest of the tennis team’s journey. In our first article, Making History: BISV Tennis, we covered the first 4 matches. In this article, we will cover matches against Nueva, Pinewood, and Stratford Prep.
Match 5 vs Nueva
Hurrying from school to their away game, the Bobcats arrived only a few minutes before the matches were supposed to start and then warmed up immediately. At first, the team was nervous due to having heard of Nueva’s previous achievements. However, after a much-needed pep-talk, everyone was calm and ready to play.
In the first round, Michelle G., Vivian C., Annie L., Shuying S., and Stella W. played singles while Michelle W. and Shivani T. played doubles. However, the doubles match was considered an exhibition match by both sides, because it was not originally on the schedule. In other words, there were only 5 official matches in the first round. Officially, the Bobcats led 3-2 and was tied 3-3 unofficially.
Although nervous about the close score, each Bobcat was able to focus on their own matches, which also showed in the scores. In the second round, Shivani T. played singles while Michelle G. & Annie L. played first doubles, Vivian C. & Shuying S. played second doubles, and Stella W. played an exhibition singles match.
Due to the lack of light as time passed, Vivian C. and Shuying S., and Stella W. were unable to finish their matches. As a result, these two matches were considered exhibition matches as well. Overall, BISV was able to secure a victory with a score of 5-2 officially and 6-4 unofficially.
Match 6 vs Pinewood
On a hot sunny day, the Bobcats fared to Pinewood High School to compete against the Panthers. In Round 1, players Michelle G. and Shivani T. played singles, while teams Vivian C. & Shuying S. and Michelle W. & Stella W. played doubles. The Bobcats fought hard under the heat and won 3 of the 4 matches.
In Round 2, Michelle W. played singles while Michelle G. & Stella W. played doubles. The remaining players cheered enthusiastically for their teammates, supporting them throughout their matches. Each team fought hard and long, but ultimately tied 1-1 in matches for Round 2.
Tallying the overall score, the Bobcats defeated the Panthers 4-2. Despite the competitive nature on court, everyone was really friendly and had great conversations off court. It was great to meet new friends through these competitions. The energy at the end of the match was very positive, and the Bobcats left with a strong sense of camaraderie with Pinewood High School’s team.
Match 7 vs Stratford
The Bobcats had previously played Stratford Prep a couple of weeks before this matchup, so this was an exciting rematch. They arrived on the courts at 4 pm, actively warming up for the match. After a quick warmup, the Bobcats huddled up, were given a pep talk by Coach Al, and got ready to compete.
Stratford Prep had reserved all six of their courts for this competition, and so Round 1 consisted of six singles matches. Players Michelle G., Vivian C., Annie L., Shivani T., Shuying S., and Sophia Z. eagerly walked to their respective courts to prepare for their matches.
All the players fought hard, battling through the tough, windy, and sunny conditions. Ultimately, the Bobcats pulled through 5-1 in the singles matches, with senior Sophia Z. winning the deciding match in a tough 8-6 win.
Pictured: Players Michelle G. (top left), Vivian C. (bottom left), Shuying S. (top middle), Annie L. (bottom middle), Shivani T. (top right), and Sophia Z. (bottom right) battling hard in their singles matches
The second round consisted of three doubles matches. Vivian C. and Annie L. stepped up to take on the number one doubles team, ready to face two tough opponents. The two seniors, Michelle G. and Sophia Z., teamed up to play against the number 2 doubles players, and Stella W. and Michelle W. completed the lineup, taking the doubles 3 spot.
All the players fought long and hard, with many cheers from the other players echoing through the courts. In the end, Stratford Prep emerged on top during the doubles matches, winning two of the three.
Pictured: Michelle W. & Stella W. (top left), Annie L. & Vivian C. (bottom left), and Michelle G. & Sophia Z. (right) competing in their doubles matches
Overall, though, the Bobcats emerged victorious, winning the match with an overall score of 6-3. All the players contributed to the win, whether it was winning matches or cheering on their teammates. The Bobcats’ strong team spirit was evident, and it was great to end their season with a bang.
This day was also Stratford Prep’s senior night, where they honored one of their seniors. Our sister school extended its kindness to us as they also celebrated the two seniors on the BISV team, Captain Michelle G. and Sophia Z. Michelle and Sophia received flowers and garnered a round of applause for all their hard work this season.
Pictured: Seniors Sophia Z. (left) and Michelle G. (right)
With this victory, the Varsity Girls Tennis Team ended their season undefeated. Whether it was battling through hot temperatures or huddling together for a pep talk, so many cherished memories were made with this team. The members have bonded so much, and lifelong friends have been made. Can’t wait to see what the next season brings!
