The JV Tennis team members kicked off their season on on Sept. 5 with a match against Crossroads, which they won 18-0 and left feeling “excited” about more opportunities to play this year. Now, at the end of their season, having won six out of their eight matches, the seven freshman and sophomores have used their time together to “grow” as a team.

“I really want to work on incorporating the team so we’re all one big happy family and [so] we [can] have good communication. I want to focus on just creating a fun bond with the girls because there’s not a lot of us, and helping each other out,” sophomore and team captain Leah Abazari said at the beginning of the season. “Even if that is not about tennis and [it’s] about schoolwork or homework, [my goal is to] just make a happy, safe, inclusive environment.” 

Along with more opportunities to play matches against other schools, the team has gained another resource this year: a new coach, Terri Flemming. 

“She’s been really beneficial to the team, as she’s mostly working with the JV team,” Abazari said. “She’s teaching us new skills that she has learned over the years, and she has a lot of prior experience with tennis. She has really helped a lot with our skills and strategies.” 

Although throughout the season, the student-athletes focused on creating a strong bond within their team, Nina Salomon (‘22) also said that their tennis skills have improved. 

“We’ve grown a lot this year as a team, and we keep getting better and better every day, and the more matches and practices make it easier for us to get better,” Salomon said. 

As the team has continued to play matches against various schools such as Brentwood, Oakwood and Marymount, the athletes have used tennis as a way to unwind during the school year. 

“JV is a way to relax and have fun, so I’m not really stressed about tennis, ” Abazari said. “I’m just doing it for fun and just having a positive attitude about it.”