The Pine Creek Girls’ Tennis team is hoping to cap off their outstanding season by winning state.  With every season, there are always obstacles and challenges in the way of completing this goal, however adapting and practicing can help the team win the state title.

To win state, practice is key, but it takes a lot of dedication. “I think practice makes perfect, and in order to win state, we just need to have that mindset. The varsity girls were amazing, so they’re gonna do great.” Emily Baldridge (11) said. With more practice, the team is more likely to win more matches. “I think we can really put in the work during practices everyday after school, and we can work together as a team to get closer to where we know each other.” Keelin Sills (10) said.

People have certain preferences about positions in Tennis for varying reasons. “I like doubles because we’re with partners, so it’s just extra confidence that you’re not solo on the court,” Baldridge stated. Playing doubles saves players some effort because they have a teammate. Individual players are in control of everything when playing singles. “I haven’t played doubles in high school, but I’ve played doubles in club tennis, but I enjoy singles more just because I’m in control of what is going on,” Sills said. The positions players play may depend on location. A person who plays a certain position at school may play a different position in club tennis. “I played singles in tournaments sometimes, but in Pine Creek, I have not played singles,” Catherine Mooney (11) said.

“Some of the challenges are the wind and the weather, so I think we all wish the weather was better to play in, and it’s hard to play against the wind,” Baldridge explained. Having a match canceled due to weather may affect the team because they lose chances to get better. “The weather is a big one because we had a match canceled due to the weather outside.” Lily Lee (9) said.

Anxiety is another thing the team faces when playing against other teams as well as making the move to 5A. “Something I’m struggling with is playing at the net and not trying to get anxious when I’m playing other teams, especially when they’re more difficult cause we just moved up from 4A to 5A.” Mooney said. However, tennis is, for most, all about playing fair and playing for fun. “I think the challenge we might be facing is that we have a lot of new people in our team, so we had to get close again and be as a team again. But personally, just not being scared or nervous to play. Just go out to play and have fun.” Sills stated.

With expectations are high, challenges and obstacles are obvious. New team members, weather, and anxiety are always at the back of players’ minds. However, team determination, the willingness to get better, and teamwork will give the team a good chance to win at state.