The varsity boys tennis team defeated the Shawnee Mission South Raiders at home, April 20.
In doubles, the Huskies defeated the Raiders, 3-1 and in singles, 10-2, marking their win for the overall match.
In the last five matches, the team won four matches and tied one match, according to Bound.
Team co-captain senior Srinivasa Vel said the team had several strategies that made them successful in this game.
Vel said keeping concentration on the opponents and avoiding stress allowed all team members to play their best in this match.
“Staying in the present is important, not thinking about what’s gonna happen in the future or in the past,” Vel said. “It’s easier said than done, but developing that mindset over time when you’re playing really helps.”
Co-captain, senior Luca Ospino, said instilling confidence for the team is important for winning games.
“It’s really important for the captains to be the ones that bring the energy to the matches,” Ospino said. “Cheering them on when they hit a good shot, telling them to stay focused or certain statements can help the team spirit.”
Additional strategies Ospino said are to play confidently, plan ahead on shots and move around frequently.
“Spot your opponent’s weaknesses, and make sure that you attack their weaknesses using your own strengths,” Ospino said.
For physical tactics, Ospino said putting more work into the lower limbs was an important part of winning the overall game.
“If you don’t have [good] footwork, you’re not prepared for every single ball,” Ospino said. “The footwork is the most important part, because it helps with every other aspect of your shot.”
Vel said hitting the tennis ball directly from the air to the other side of the court, also called a volley, helped him do well in this match.
When he saw teammates who were struggling, Vel said he wanted to help them improve for the next rounds they played in the game.
“If you see a teammate struggling with a serve, [you can] talk to the coach, [so] that we can work on this guy’s serve,” Vel said. “Or if you don’t see an individual playing aggressive enough, you can tell the coach we should talk to this guy to play more [aggressively].”
After reflecting on this game, Ospino said his main goal to do well in future tennis matches, whether in singles or doubles, is to stay in good shape.
“Singles is really important that you’re not getting gas early in the match and that you [are] more physical than the person you’re playing against,” Ospino said.
Vel said this tennis match allowed the team to gain some valuable lessons for the future, such as focusing on physical strategies and earning points.
“Implementing those [lessons] is very important,” Vel said. “Really focusing on what we can do now as a team [is] what we need to work on as a team right now.”
