Girl’s tennis has worked hard since the beginning of August to improve their game and come together as a team, and it is evident through their many accomplishments that their dedication has paid off. The diligent work from the players and coaches have produced a tight-knit, successful team that is beating opponent after opponent. When speaking to any of the tennis players they all echo the same thing; their close bond as a team has propelled them to win matches and climb in rank.
“Not only do we have really strong players, but we also have really good team chemistry that really helps,” said Lia Adams (‘24). “We really are working together.”
When watching the varsity tennis team play, their unity as a team is apparent. The players communicate and cheer each other on off court, and on court during doubles. Between each point high fives are shared and praise is sent, whether the point was won or lost. The friendship between players not only brings the team together, but is a driving force to winning their matches.
“It’s our attitudes towards each other,” said Mary Colombo (‘23), explaining where the team’s success stems from. “When we go onto the court, we hype each other up, call out to the other people to make sure we’re all really excited, and it’s just really fun.”
Recently, the tennis team played at the prestigious KC Invitational tournament with 16 area schools, placing 2nd, the best placing of a Barstow Tennis team at this tournament ever. Each match went into a tie breaker and all the players did exceptionally well.
After the tournament, the team moved on to individual district matches. Because tennis is not technically a team sport, in high school tennis, players can attend state tournaments as an individual player, or as a player in a school team. Friday, October 1, was district individuals where Serena Birria qualified for singles at state as well as two doubles teams, Atra Birria (‘25) and Phoebe Martin (‘24), and Leah Adams (‘24) and Mary Colombo (‘23). State individuals will be held on October 14 and 15 in Columbia Missouri.
“At individual state I think our girls are gonna be really good,” said Zoe Hrabe (‘24). “Our whole team is just really good and I think we can do really well individually.”
During a district match, the team plays three doubles sets first, then six singles sets are played. In order to win the match, the team must win five sets total, meaning that wins during doubles sets are vital to the success of the team. They have played two teams during districts on their path to state, and have won both times.
The first district match was against Belton high school on Tuesday, October 5 hosted at Barstow. The girls team won all five of the first sets, hyping them up for the next district match against Sion. The Sion match was played at Barstow on October 6, and the team continued with their win streak, effortlessly moving on to sectionals.
Gus Ketchell (‘23), a spectator at the both district games, was impressed by their play and chemistry as a team. “They seem to have a really good bond with each other, it’s like they’ve all become one tennis player.”
The team’s success, however, is not arbitrary; their special bond and impeccable play have been cultivated through hard work. “We are really consistent, we’re playing smart even if we’re against tougher teams,” said Zoe Hrabe (‘24). “We’ve also been practicing a ton. We don’t really get days off.”
Practice for the varsity team started almost two weeks before the start of school, and has continued every weekday since. Currently, the girls on the team said that they have been focused on their doubles strategy, and will be moving on to some singles practice to prepare for state individuals. A lot of emphasis is placed upon doubles sets due to their importance at the beginning of a match, thus the varsity is often doing drills to improve their game, court placement, and method for doubles matches.
Lia Adams, (‘24) emphasized the importance of preparing for her matches not only through technical practice, but through mental training and preparation. “How to react between points, what to mentally tell yourself, how much time you need to breathe,” Adams said are all important things she has to focus on during a match. “Especially for singles, if your mind’s not in it you’re gonna lose,” she said.
The team competed in sectionals on monday, October 11, winning all of their games and moving them on to state. The good fortune and especially talented team this year are a hopeful sign that the success will continue on, and there is a good chance that they will carry on their win streak through state. All the coaches and players agree that this year’s team is extra special, after the lack of one last year. “I think the players just have a greater appreciation for the season,” said Coach Downs. “Appreciation for the season because they didn’t get to play last year, so they’re enjoying it a lot more, and you can see that in the way they interact during practice or matches.”
The girls will move on to the State Final Four after their victory at Class 2 State sectionals yesterday.
To stay updated on the girl’s matches and their success at state, follow them at barstow_tennis on Instagram. Good luck ladies!
