BY HELAINA COZZA
Staff Writer
Although the girls tennis team did not make it to playoffs this year, they have kept a positive attitude about the season.
“We made a lot of progress. We had a strong team,” said senior Liz Backo, one of the team’s captains.The team’s goals for this season included not only making it into the playoffs but improvement for the team as a whole.
Backo said that the lineup could change on any day because of all the talent they have.
“Everyone works extremely hard and always puts in their best effort,” Backo said.
Jules Mamajek, a sophomore, is a crossover on the team. This means that she plays junior varsity as well as some varsity matches.
The season has gone pretty well, Mamajek said. There was a lot of improvement for individuals, as well as the team as a whole.
They had a lot more wins than last season, tallying eight by the end of September. They got off to an 8-7 record.
The team lost its number one singles player last year. Eight of the players are seniors, who make up almost half of the team.
Their section includes their biggest rivals. They are Mt. Lebanon, Upper St. Clair, and Oakland Catholic. This made getting into the playoffs a huge challenge.
The team’s other captain is junior Kyra Kinzler. The captains were voted at the end of last year. Kinzler has been playing tennis since her freshman year.
Mamajek, who has played tennis both her freshman and sophomore year, says that the most challenging thing is staying calm.
“When you are not doing well, your mental process can be that you are terrible,” Mamajek said. “You need to stay calm and try not to get frustrated.
“I just really like it in general,” Mamajek said of tennis. “It’s what my life revolves around.”
Backo has been playing tennis for three years. As a captain she works on conditioning the team over the summer as well as planning team-bonding activities.
“It’s enjoyable to go to practice every day,” Backo said of why tennis is important to her.
Allie Claherty, a senior, plays number one singles and does well against girls ranked across the nation, Backo said.
The team will also be holding a match in honor of gym teacher George McCormack, who has battled cancer, for their senior recognition game.
