The Arcadia High School (AHS) Girls JV Tennis team exhibited remarkable fortitude as they secured yet another triumphant victory this season in a match against Mark Keppel High School (MKHS), crushing MKHS with a final score of 16-2. The game on Oct. 9 marked the ninth consecutive win of the season, further extending the team’s undefeated record of 9-0.
To obtain this impeccable winning streak, the team diligently engaged in daily conditioning and practices. To further ensure their success, the team has been experimenting with different player pairs to assemble the best team.
At every practice, different players were thoughtfully paired for matches against each other. Position assignments were made subsequently based on performance outcomes, facilitating each player to leverage their strengths for the team’s collective success.
Additionally, the team has been working hard to nurture stronger connections and communication among each team member, recognizing the importance of such connections, especially in doubles matches where communication is key.
Sophomore Sonoma Lu, a doubles player, emphasizes that “the most important part is probably having good chemistry with your doubles partner, [and] it’s about having the right mindset so that even if you do make those mistakes, you’ll be able to [recover and] get it back.”
Lu additionally noted the team’s successes in forming new doubles pairs, which fostered not only on-court excellence but formed new friendships as well.
After assigning players to compete in matches for the first round, each team competed against their opponent, fueled with determination and agility. Their strong swings sent the ball whirling across the court at wide angles, but Arcadia’s tactical court coverage kept the ball in play.
“The most important part about tennis is the teamwork and connections with your team because it’s really about communicating with your teammates,” said JV girls tennis captain junior Victoria Liau. “We have been training hard together for this game with a lot of practice matches and drills.”
The long hours of practice have shown to be effective in our JV girl’s performance on-court. By exhibiting consistency and excellent teamwork, Arcadia’s athletes were able to win most sets by staggering margins. A few rounds into the match, it was clear that Arcadia had the upper hand against its opponents on the court, scoring 6-0 for the majority of the games.
However, the MKHS team refused to surrender without a fight, delivering strong and consistent shots attempting to outhit our players. But our JV team was able to recover from any trouble and continue its endeavor. They kept the ball in bounds, looking for any opportunity to strike a winner on their opponents and ultimately emerge victorious.
The final results revealed that the team had persisted through a total of 140 individual games, winning 108 of them. The team’s consistency in partnership and coordination had proven to be vital for securing yet another victory for the JV Girls Tennis team and will continue to aid them throughout the remainder of the season.
Aiming to be undefeated this year, the team will continue to practice daily and strive to enhance their skills in the process. For a team such as Arcadia’s outstanding JV Girls Tennis team, the possibility of a perfect streak is a manageable goal. If the team’s ambitions remain high and the fight for victory stays in motion, such goals could be achieved. Keep up the good work lady Apaches!
