Girls Tennis Earn a Clean Sweep at Districts by Lucie Frank and Isabella Zervigon
The girls tennis team delivered an unforgettable performance at districts, earning a clean sweep and advancing with confidence to the next round. The energy and excitement were palpable as every player contributed to the team’s dominant showing. “It felt absolutely incredible,” said Senior Kenzie Gooch. “Knowing all the hard work we put in as a team paid off with a clean sweep at districts was the best feeling. It wasn’t just about winning, it was about seeing everyone’s dedication and effort come together at the right moment. It was a moment of pure joy and happiness for my teammates.”
The road to victory wasn’t easy, with a couple matches coming down to tense, hard-fought tie-breakers. Mental toughness and focus played a crucial role in the team’s success. “Winning those matches, especially with the close tie-breakers on my part, required a lot of mental toughness,” Gooch explained. “I focused on staying calm, taking each point one at a time, and trusting all the work I had put in throughout the season. And I couldn’t have done it without my teammates' support and encouragement.”
For those looking to follow in their footsteps at future district tournaments, both Gooch and sophomore Liana Twigg offered advice. “My advice would be to believe in yourself and your training,” Gooch shared. “Trust the hours you’ve put in and stay focused on your game plan. Remember that districts is a team effort, so support each other, stay positive, and have fun.” Twigg added, “Play your game, not theirs. Don’t doubt yourself, and just work hard. It felt amazing to win because nobody could beat us, we are just too good.”
For the Mel high tennis team, the season is more about connecting with friends than winning a game, even though the girls have been dominating each match. The best parts of tennis season came with the amazing opportunities of games to play, especially when circling back to the excitement of the new year. Sophomore Bentli Saxon would definitely agree when reflecting back on the success of the 2025 games. “This season was different from last year because we had a stronger team and a different district,” Saxon said. Indeed, the strength of the team makes the season even more victorious as the players bond over their favorite sport.
As a rising junior, Saxon is especially excited for the upcoming season and opening of opportunities for junior year. Circling back on districts, Saxon’s favorite moments from the game included a break from school and good laughs with friends, “The new experiences, staying in a hotel, the time off from school, meeting new people, and bonding as a team made districts exciting,” said Saxon. Additionally, sophomore Olivia Miles also had the best time competing at districts and becoming closer to her teammates, “I loved watching and supporting my friends while also playing in it myself,” said Miles. With this being said, the most team support comes from the cheers of our teammates off the court or the hard work on the court.
Finally, a sport would be nothing without its challenges. Certainly, the tennis girls have put in a lot of hard work to represent our school at important matches. Even though playing a sport while also putting the work to succeed in school seems hard, Miles has learned how to balance her life has a student athlete, “My biggest challenge was learning how to balance sports with school,” to overcome this challenge, Miles uses a little bit of organizational skills to keep up with school, “I kept a checklist of every assignment I had due each day,” Miles said.