Girls Tennis Finish League
The girls concluded the season with an overall league record of 4-4.
Junior Layla Gravelle made it to the league finals on Wednesday, Oct. 30, securing a spot in the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), which starts on Monday, Nov. 25. Senior Malia Rivera and sophomore Ali Aga took third place.
Gravelle, who has been playing tennis for a total of 11 years, feels that the “most important thing to have on the tennis court is a positive attitude.” Last year, 12 seniors graduated, all of whom were on varsity. Despite this, the team still performed well, proving that departure of the graduating class did not hinder the girls’ success. Next year, she hopes “to maybe win or get further into CIF.”
Of the season as a whole, head coach John Cost said, “Since late May to the present day, I’ve been encouraged by the girls playing smarter, more consistent tennis.” This year is Cost’s last, as he is going back to his country club.
The girls’ last game as a team took place on Wednesday, Nov. 6 and lost 4-14 in the first round of CIF against Martin Luther King. The team also competed on Friday, Oct. 25 against Tesoro, winning the match 11-7. Junior Brianna McMillan noted that “it was sad to see the season end but hopefully, next season is just as successful.”
Earlier that week, on Tuesday, Oct. 22, the team played against Aliso Niguel and lost 8-10. Against Capistrano Valley, the team triumphed 10-8 on Thursday, Oct. 17.
“I feel that overall as a team we have grown so much since the beginning”-Natalie Misri, Junior
Reflecting on the season, junior Natalie Misri expressed, “I feel that overall as a team we have grown so much since the beginning. All season, we have trained and played so many different schools, and in the end, we all did our best.” For next year, she thinks that “[the team] can improve not only [their] strength as a team but [their] technique while playing on court.” She finally stated that “tennis is not only about winning, but also about fairness and allowing all people to play.”
Sophomore Caroline Allemann agreed, stating that “the season went okay this year, but next year should be really good.” She continued, “We just got a new coach who is really good and will help our team get back on track. Next year, I hope we win league and make it far in CIF.”