Serving sweet victory

After another successful season, six players on girls tennis competed in CIF individually in the singles and doubles division. To enter the individual playoffs, players had to come in first or second in their league rankings. Two singles players and two doubles teams were able to compete this year.

Junior Ena Shibihara and freshman Ryan Peus competed in the singles division. Shibihara won the championship, while Peus took third place. Shibihara cited support from teammates as a strong factor in her victory.

“A big part of my success was the support I had from the rest of the team,” Shibihara said. “A lot of them were cheering me on from the stands, and even the ones would couldn’t make it would text me encouragement.”

Two teams competed in the doubles division. The team of sophomores Sarina Liu and Tia Ellison lost in the round of 16, while the team of seniors Risa Nakagawa and Sara Khattab won the championship. Nakagawa attributed her success to her chemistry with Khattab.

“We [Khattab and I] have been playing together for three years already,”  Nakagawa said. “Playing a lot together helped us develop a strong bond and good teamwork.”

Another key element the players’ success was lots of practice. Coaches Mike Hoeger and Barbara Dewitt lent their advice and guidance to maximize the effectiveness of their workouts and drills.

“To me, practice is not about how many hours you put into it,” Hoeger said. “You should have a goal in mind while you play. Otherwise, you’re just wasting your time.”