As the spring season for sports begins, many teams have already brought home wins for MHS. One team, in particular, is the Girls’ Tennis Team who are looking to become the GBL champs for the third year in a row. On April 8th at Amerige Park, the Girls’ Tennis Team came out with a triumphant win 5-0 against the Medford Mustangs.
In order to gain a point for the team as a whole, members had to win 2 out of 3 sets, by either six points or by 2 more than their opponent, in either a singles or doubles match. There were 3 single matches and 2 double matches. In the double matches teammates played in pairs, while in singles it was one versus one.
Senior Captain Chloe Chen, Junior Captain Isabelle Tan, and Junior Ivana Marinkovic were chosen to play the three singles matches, all bringing out eager wins quickly bringing the overall score to 3-0. Juniors Julianna Lin and Sarah Pham joined to play a doubles match as well as Sophomore Remi Yang and Sofi Le.
Coach Cheryl Camassa is currently in her 8th season coaching tennis. Cammasa who started coaching in the 2016-2017 season shared her thoughts on the match. “I came into this [match] being nervous because I knew Medford was a good team and since being undefeated for the last few seasons, I didn’t want us to feel like we’re so much better than them. We had a good outcome,” said Camassa.
Chen played on the first court during her singles match and she played graciously while making sure to contain her composure. Chen calmly won both sets 6-2. “The game went well, just as I hoped it would. Everyone, including Coach Camassa and I wanted to start the season off with a great win, and that is what we did,” said Chen.
Marinkovic, who played on the second court during her singles match has been playing tennis since she was 4 years old.
Marinkovic stayed collected as she won the first set against her opponent with a score of 6-0. Compared to the second set which was much more nerve-wracking. Marinkovic led at the beginning of the second set 2-0, but her opponent quickly caught up, tying it up 5-5. Due to the many mistakes her opponent made during serving, Marinkovic luckily won the second set 7-5, gaining a point for Malden.
“Honestly, the match went well as expected. First set I pulled through 6-0, second set I kind of got more comfortable and let loose but I pulled through and won 7-5,” says Marinkovic.
Tan, who played on the third court for her singles match, showcased her joyful attitude throughout the match. Tan won both sets 6-1 against her opponent, gaining yet another point for Malden. Which brought the overall score to 3-0.
The first doubles match played by Lin and Pham continued the streak for Malden. Winning the first set 6-3 with their swift serves and the second set 6-1 with their amazing teamwork.
The second doubles match was much more nerve-wracking resulting in the tie-breaking third set. Yang and Le worked hard but sadly fell short 4-6 during the first set. Despite the first set's loss, Yang and Le didn't let it rock their confidence. Instead, they showcased their fabulous communication skills, winning the second set 6-3.
Regardless of the nerves Le and Yang felt, they didn’t let it show and kept a serious look on their face. Although Medford was a bit intimidating with their quick and strong moves, both Yang and Le persisted through. Admirably winning the third set 6-3 Yang and Le contributed to Maldens' overall score 5-0.
“I hope that everyone plays with energy and confidence during our matches,” said Chen as she continued to explain how due to the loss of seniors from last year and the new additions to the team, the team dynamic has changed but continues to stay cheerful. “Also, for the Girls’ tennis team to be the GBL Champs for the third year in a row,” added Chen.
With the clean sweep against Medford, the Girls’ Tennis Team is surely on the right track to yet another GBL Championship title.
