The Girls Varsity Tennis team has had an ongoing reputation for being undefeated, and the players have many expectations to live up to. Girls Varsity Tennis player Jessica Young has waited two years to be on the renowned Varsity team, and as a junior, she has finally made it. Up until eighth grade, Jessica had no intention of trying out for the high school tennis team. But when she realized she had the potential to play at the high school level, she worked hard during the summer before freshman year to improve her skills and successfully landed a spot on the JV team.

During freshman year, Jessica was having a difficult time adjusting to the new high school lifestyle. “Freshmen year I was a singles starter, which was fun, but really stressful for a freshman to play three hours of tennis,” Jessica states how she was able to manage her time well and make new friends along the way.

The competition during tryouts was very intense for Jessica in her sophomore year. During sophomore year, Jessica tried out for the Varsity team and almost landed a spot, but she was defeated in a tie-breaking match against another strong competitor. Jessica stated that she was not disappointed when she did not make Varsity, though. Despite not making the team, Jessica remained optimistic and did her best to show the coaches she was capable of making Varsity the following year. As a sophomore, Jessica became a JV team captain. She says that being a captain helped her develop her leadership skills as well as view the tennis program from a new perspective.

The summer before junior year was the year Jessica was determined to make Varsity. Jessica states that junior year “was a good chance since many seniors graduated, which left several Varsity spots open.” She practiced the entire summer, and her practice paid off as Jessica made it into the Varsity team. Several of Jessica’s JV Tennis members also made it into Varsity, but despite making the team, Jessica felt sad that she had to leave her Junior Varsity teammates behind.

“One of the biggest struggles, though, is time,” said Jessica. Like many athletes at AHS, Jessica has trouble managing the heavy workload while also doing her best during practice and games. “We travel to many schools and don’t get home until at least 6 or 7 p.m.,” But despite all this, Jessica still enjoys going to other schools and bringing snacks and drinks to every single game.

The Girls Varsity Tennis team has been working hard and is doing extremely well. As the season comes to a close, we hope that the team will continue to win their league games and make the Apaches proud.

Photo by MELODY LUI