The season has ended for the La Salle girls tennis team, and players feel the season was worthwhile and rewarding. 

While starting out with four captains began as a challenge, the girls very quickly got the hang of things and “really bonded and made the team strong,” junior Quinlynn Tran said. 

Senior Isabella Montecucco, one of the four captains alongside seniors Greta Dazer, Kyra Nguyen, and Rissa Stone, feels that the team environment this year has been a positive one.

“We’re able to play with each other and have fun,” Montecucco said. “We challenge each other in different ways, and we support each other in many ways.” 

Sophomore Noemie Anderson, who joined the team this year with a minimal tennis background from her childhood, feels similarly. 

“The team was super welcoming, and the coaches gave a lot of feedback,” she said. “They just set us up for success.”

In terms of the coaches, the players believe that they have been helpful and supportive both on and off the courts.

“I really appreciate coach David Lane’s always being there whenever we want to play,” Montecucco said. “Especially in the off season, he always was there hosting open courts.”

Additionally, she appreciates the advice and “level-headedness” that coach Geraldine Carter brings to the team, she said.

As for coach Quyen Wong, she “really appreciate[s] his chillness, and sometimes getting to just hit against him is really fun because it really challenges me,” Montecucco said. 

Beyond what the coaches bring to the table, Montecucco also shared her hopes for the team itself. 

More specifically, she wanted “the team to be supportive of one another all the time, and to just be a well-rounded team,” she said. 

As for state, the girls were excited to have made it to the tournament, but also had high hopes for winning, according to Anderson. 

In terms of training, the week prior to state was made up of hard work and constant practicing.

“We’ve been doing a lot of practices and conditioning and doing good drills, working on the small things that make a difference,” Anderson said. 

While the team as a whole did not end up placing, players like Anderson were just ultimately happy to be there. 

Tran was just there to support her teammates, and she felt equally as proud. 

“Our girls did really good, and they really pushed to their highest abilities,” she said, adding that they “got [it] next year.”

During state itself, senior Kaitlin Carter and Montecucco made it to the consolation doubles final, senior Suzy Valdivia and Anderson made it to the consolation semi-finals, Nguyen and senior Abby Maulding made it to the consolation quarterfinals, and sophomore Luci Reid made it to the singles finals. 

Reflecting on the season, Montecucco said, “I think we did pretty good. I mean, making three doubles to state and then one singles to state, that’s pretty good.”

The team also made it far in the season prior to going to state, securing a victory at districts just a week before. 

This focus on the team aspect appeared in other ways as well throughout the season. Anderson cited the tournament in Roseburg as an example of this because of the team bonding that took place. 

While they did not always have enough time to organize specific team bonding events, during a rainy day the girls could be found in coach Lane’s classroom playing icebreakers or adding to their team quote wall. 

Now, as the season wraps up and the senior players prepare to move on, Montecucco shared that “if you’re wanting to work hard and have fun, join tennis next year,” she said. “It’s worth it.”