Girls’ Tennis hits through the season

By Bernice Ou-Yang

The season has already begun for PHHS Girls Tennis and they have played many games since then.

Last Thursday, on their last game of the season, they lost 2-5 against Leland High School, ending their season with a record of 8-6.  In their first CCS (Central Coast Section) Qualifiers game this Monday, the girls won, scoring 6-1.

“Our goal is to place second in our league,” announces Co-Captain Kelly Chau.  Right now, the team is in the A league for the most competitive division.

In order to reach their goal, the team has been practicing since the beginning of the school year and even during the summer. Through their conditioning, they build more muscle strength and improve on their speed and reflexes. During their practices, the members focus on drilling footwork and different types of shots into their muscle memory for games.

This year, Coach Alex Nguyen, a new coach with a tennis coaching- license, joined the team to help the girls bolster their techniques and forms.  He assesses their weak points, identifying what the team needs to work and improve on.

“The new players have really improved since the beginning of the season,” mentions Co-Captain Tiffany B. Nguyen. Despite losing quite a few valuable members at the start of their season, the two captains have noticed quite a lot of improvements from their members.

“As long as I don’t do anything (reckless), I think I won’t get injured,” says member Hannah Lim. Physical injuries are common among athletes. Some of the team members have minor injuries here and there. To make up for their setbacks and get over the other obstacles, the team has been practicing really hard every day.

“I want to practice with (the underclassmen) more, even when we don’t have practice,” declares Lim. The team is motivated to make it to CCS this year and every member have been working very hard during practices, hoping to improve as much as they can before the next game.

“Kelly and I always strive to create a team-oriented environment, so basically family, which I think we are,” exclaims Nguyen. By creating such a supportive and encouraging environment, the girls can practice cohesively knowing that the team has their backs.