The UC High Girls Tennis Team is keeping fit and staying focused on new challenges in the potential tennis season this year.
The Centurions were able to achieve a 14-7 record in their first season in the Eastern League after earning their spot in that League last season (maxpreps.com). The team will look to better their results this year, Junior Cissy Letter shared. “We played pretty well last year but with all the hard work we have put in, we hope to do even better this year,” stated Letter.
Building off of the team’s success, some players were able to play well in the CIF Singles and Doubles tournaments. Senior Co-Captains Audrey Jason and Kaitlyn Lov-Troung both played in the postseason and are eager for more. “It is really easy to become complacent and stop working hard when going into your senior season, and it happens to a lot of players. Being aware of this and keeping up with practices will give us an edge in the future,” said Lov-Troung.
Keeping players engaged in sports during the off season is a tall order, but UC High girls tennis has worked to get around that obstacle. Jason said, “Creating a healthy environment within the team will make players excited to play the sport and is crucial to having a strong sports program. Coach Joe Brese and all of [the players] have worked hard to have our team be that way.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has no clear end in sight, and that spells bad news for all sports teams. Players have had to find ways to stay prepared safely. Letter said, “To keep in shape and keep up with everyone else I have been practicing a lot more by myself and with my family; my dad has played with me a lot and been a great help throughout the off season.”
Losing strong seniors may pose trouble this season, but Jason has high hopes for incoming players. “The core of our team graduated but with the addition of some new freshman players, we should be able to fill the void they created after graduating,” said Jason. Lov-Troung continued, “Coaching up younger players to be the future representatives of UC High is something that we take a lot of pride in. Older players have a large impact on the careers of the younger athletes, and we try to do all that we can.”