Girls’ Tennis smashes out of season

By Sarah Shafaeen

After a particularly challenging season, the PHHS Girls’ Tennis team has discovered that they did not qualify to compete in the CCS (Central Coast Section) due to placing fifth.

“California’s athletic activities are broken down into about 10 different sections, one of them being the Central Coast Section, or CCS. Every year, sports teams within the section train with the sole purpose of competing for a spot in the CCS playoffs. It’s very difficult to make it to the playoffs and essentially only the best of the best can participate,” informed senior Anna Tran.

The tennis team was having a challenging season with five wins and ten losses. Part of the challenge was the influx of new players and many of the star players graduating the previous year.

“It’s definitely been challenging. We had a lot of our seniors last year graduate and they were a major part of our varsity lineup,” said Captain Tiffany Nguyen.

Everyone from the captain to the newcomer were aware of the mental and physical effects of this tough season and were concerned about the capability of this years’ team to compete at its full capability and potential.

This is why it was an extremely difficult journey to compete for a spot in the CCS playoffs. The CCS is the governing body of public and private high school athletics in the portion of California encompassing everything from the San Mateo County to the Monterey County. Despite the tough circumstances, the team remained hopeful and continued to train for the playoffs.

“In years past, Piedmont Hills has been able to play in the CCS tournament, and although we have been having a difficult season so far, we hope to do so again this year,” stated Tran.

“I’m pretty proud of how much improvement we’ve managed to come by so far and how we’ve done against certain schools,” admitted Nguyen.

Many of the newcomers were confident in the team’s ability and reflect back on the season with fondness. They were determined to get into CCS despite their losses throughout the season.

“I like all the support every day during the practices and the games. It makes me feel good because we’re one big family,” asserted freshman Crystal Cheng.

The determining game last Thursday showed the team that their efforts paid off and motivated the new players to train harder for next year’s season. ◆