On the afternoon of Oct. 14, Girls’ Varsity Tennis took on Santa Monica High, with both doubles teams winning all sets and triumphing with an overall score of 13-5. 

“They were a tough team, but we got in enough sets to win the match,” junior Phoebe Chalupsky said. “I’d say that compared to other teams in the Bay League, they were definitely an easier team, but it still takes effort.”

The team accomplished different activities to prepare for the upcoming game, most of which consisted of double’s teamwork. Certain game plans are created during training, to find the best way to approach different tennis teams. “We kind of just really practiced our double’s strategies,” Chalupsky said. “For our first set, it was really just ‘keep it away from the volleyer [a person who strikes the ball before it hits the ground].”

Sophomore Nicole Sasaki, a teammate on the first doubles team, uses a different strategy with her partner. “Our strategy is ‘poach as much as possible,’” she said. “Poaching wins points.” Her and Poaching is when Sasaki and her teammate anticipate weak shots from their opponent, and return the ball by hitting it out of the air.

Sasaki thinks that the amount of teamwork that goes into tennis is underestimated. Despite only having two teammates, the outcome of the game solely depends on the player’s teamwork. “Tennis is so much more of a team sport than people think,” she said. “We win together, we lose together.” Trust is built between games and practice.

Sasaki feels that the friendly connection between her teammates is also one of the highlights of the girls’ varsity tennis team as well. The teams strive to increase morale between the teammates. A mutual affinity is created between the players through propping up one another. “We all have good energy, we support each other on and off the court,” she said. “Having a good team camaraderie is the best part about it.”