Close loss to Monta Vista motivates tennis team to excel in future matches

October 23, 2009 — by Denise Lin and Lauren Kuan

Twelve tennis players, decked out in nerd attire, Fresno T-shirts and red knee-high socks paraded the halls on Sept. 24, getting pumped up for their first home match against Lynbrook. Fully "nerded out," they creamed the Vikings 7-0.

Twelve tennis players, decked out in nerd attire, Fresno T-shirts and red knee-high socks paraded the halls on Sept. 24, getting pumped up for their first home match against Lynbrook. Fully “nerded out,” they creamed the Vikings 7-0.

As of Oct. 15, the team is 5-1.The loss came at the hands of talented Monta Vista. In the match against Monta Vista on Sept. 22, four of the matches went into the third set, but the Falcons lost 3-4.

“Just like us, they have a lot of depth in their singles and doubles lineup, which means on any given day the matches could go either way,” said head coach Tom Uyehara.

Uyehara said they hope to get the best of Monta Vista in the next match, with the aid of a few changes in the lineup. The players also faced a close game against Homestead on Sept. 29, and came out on top 4-3, even with the absence of No. 2 doubles player junior Mary Edman due to an injury.

“Even though we were not prepared for the windy conditions, everyone still played their best, and that is all that matters,” said sophomore Sarah Lum. “The overall match score was close, but because of our hard work and concentration we pulled it off.”

After the close victory against Homestead, the team traveled to Los Gatos on Oct. 1 and came out on top again, 6-1. The team secured five wins against Palo Alto in the match on Oct. 6.

“At first, it was really tough for [Sarah and I] to get into a groove since we never played or practiced together; but I was impressed with the way we were able to come back and take it to a third set,” said Edman.

While the team has a great record so far, Uyehara said it is crucial for double players to be more active on the court.

“What hurts us each match is the amount of unforced errors we make at the net and we need to put more volleys away,” said Uyehara. “If we can cut down on these mistakes, then we will have the upper-hand in many of these tough matches.”

Although the season is only half way done, with a few changes and hard work, the team expects great things. The team faced Monta Vista in a huge rematch at home Oct. 20. (Results were not available because of printing deadlines.)

“We are at the same position this season as we were last season,” said Uyehara. “I am proud of the way the team has battled thus far, but the season is far from over and we have many obstacles left. I expect great things from this team and hopefully the results at the end of the season will reflect the work we have put in on the court.”

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