Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Students were surprised to see the girls’ tennis team dressed up to the theme of “The Wizard of Oz” on Oct. 19 for their senior day.

In their senior game and last league game of the year against rival Monta Vista, the 9-2 Falcons lost 5-2.

With a win from No. 1 singles junior Kalyani Narayan and No. 2 singles senior Nikki Bedekar, the team did better than their last match against Monta Vista, a 6-1 loss on Sept. 25.

According to No. 2 doubles player Kimberly Chou, Bedekar had a stellar performance in her match, making the opponent run around the court just to keep the ball in play. Her win on the court made a long-lasting memory on Senior Day. Chou also said that Narayan pulled off yet another win against a strong opponent with her speed and sharp-angled shots.

For this last home game, there was a lot of support from teachers, friends and family.

“The seniors played with faces of determination, dedication and sweat,” senior Samantha Cheng said. “It was a very intense game to watch and kept me on edge.”

Looking back, the team has bonded over changing coaches halfway through the season and on the long drives to away matches. The coach quit in midseason because for personal reasons and the girls had to adjust to new coach Florin Marica.

There are six seniors graduating after this season. No. 2 singles Nikki Bedekar, No. 1 doubles team Cori Posadas and Amy Jan, No. 2 doubles team Kimberly Chou and Evaline Ju and alternate Jennifer Jin.

“I’m going to miss all the cheerfulness and enthusiasm that the seniors bring,” Narayan said. “It will be very dull without all of them.”

The team is second in its league and has qualified for CCS which begins on Nov. 6. The girls will be seeded 5th with their first game at home.